Hook, I Will Always Find You
by Genevieve Kelly
Summary: Sequel to Quelling My Bloodlust. This "what if" story takes place after the events which occurred in Camelot, resulting tragically in Killian's death. Emma is broken hearted, especially after Hades appears to taunt her about how the man she loves is suffering so she would accept a dangerous deal. Emma declines. However, she's determined to enter the Underworld to save him herself.
1. Chapter 1

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter One

Deep within the depths of the Underworld…

From the moment Killian Jones drew his last breath after he stabbed himself with the Dark One dagger in one final sacrifice to protect his loved ones and to rid the world of the darkness once and for all, he soon found himself within another kind of darkness which now surrounded him. In Killian's mind, it was a fitting place for a man who caused centuries of pain and torment on most of those he'd ever come across. A fitting place for a man who caused such pain for those fighting for the good of their people and their kingdom. A fitting place for a man who caused such pain for those he loved most.

It wasn't long after his arrival in the Underworld that his torture began, as hands belonging to the wretched souls who worked for this realm's ruler dragged him to what would soon become his new prison of eternal torment. Nor was it long before he was soon dragged from it as well, to once again be brought before the cruel God who called himself Hades.

However, when the demons appeared to take him before the deity, Killian was completely unaware of their presence despite how roughly they pulled him free from his dungeon because he was too caught up within the throws of his nightmares which he's suffered from ever since he was a small boy long ago abandoned by his father. His most recent nightmare being fresher on his mind than many of those that came before because of the darkness. While the evil entity was destroyed, the pain it caused the infamous Captain hadn't left him.

Back in Storybrooke, the night Killian took the darkness into himself…

 _Emma and Killian chased the dark entity out into the night until it disappeared once they reached the center of town, where David and Mary Margaret were already there waiting for them to join in their search as their daughter called out, "Where is it?!"_

 _Her father kept looking all around them as he replied, "We don't know."_

 _"It just disappeared into the night," Mary Margaret then stated with concern, as Regina and Robin joined them as well after returning to town from their walk._

 _"Hey, what's going on?" the Mayor asked with concern upon seeing the worry on their friends' faces while they continued to look around._

 _Hook stared ahead of them as he answered darkly, "The Dark One… It's no longer tethered to the Crocodile."_

 _Regina stared at the others in disbelief as she questioned, "What?! Where the hell is it?"_

 _As she strained to hear the entity's cries from somewhere in the distance, knowing that it was still close by, the Savior quietly responded, "It hasn't gone anywhere. The darkness… It's surrounding us."_

 _"Regina!" Robin cried when the darkness reappeared moments later as Regina gasped in fear while it suddenly began to consume her and ripped her away from the others. "What's it doing?!"_

 _"What darkness does…" Emma fearfully replied while she and everyone else continued to stare at the sight before them in horror. "Snuffing out the light."_

 _"I'm not gonna let it," Robin retorted firmly as he charged forward to try to save the woman he loved before Emma could stop him, until the darkness forced him back and to the ground._

 _Killian immediately turned to her as Emma then shouted again, "That's not gonna work on this thing! The Apprentice told me we have to do what the Sorcerer did! We have to tether it to a person to contain it!"_

 _Just as the Savior started towards the dark entity with the jagged dagger clenched tightly in her hand, Mary Margaret cried out, "Emma!"_

 _"No!" Emma then suddenly heard Regina weakly cry out to her from within the center of the vortex of evil surrounding her, when more of her memory came back to her before her father could continue. "There has to be another way!"_

 _"There isn't," the Savior answered strongly while she kept her teary eyes steadfastly on her friend who was about to lose to the darkness once again. "You've worked too hard to have your happiness destroyed."_

 _Just as Emma was about to plunge the dagger she was still grasping firmly straight into the dark entity before her, her father immediately cried out with fear, "No!"_

 _Everyone looked on as she turned around again to face her parents before completing her task while she shouted out to them sadly saying, "You figured out how to take the darkness out of me once."_

 _"You need to do it again…" she continued despite her voice breaking as she did so. "As heroes."_

 _"Emma!" she suddenly heard Killian cry out as well when he ran up to her while he pleaded, "Emma, please! No. Don't do this."_

Emma moved in close so she could embrace the man she loved despite being unable to tell him until that moment, while he held her tightly against his own body that didn't want to let her go. However, before she had the chance to say anything more to him, Killian suddenly reached down to her left hand and stole the dagger away from her, then forcefully shoved her back so that he was free to make the sacrifice for her before Emma or anyone else could stop him.

Upon him doing so, Emma cried out, "No! What the hell are you doing?!"

"Exactly what you were about to do yourself," Killian responded to her without wavering despite knowing the anguish that was to come for him in doing so. "Sacrificing my life to save you and Regina from having to give up yours. You said it yourself, Swan… Regina's worked too hard to change, just to lose herself now and you're sorely needed here more than I am. To be not only the Savior for everyone, but because you're all that is good and beautiful in this world. And because I love you. I've lived in darkness all my life until I met you. And I know this darkness that was trapped in the Crocodile better than almost anyone."

"I'll fight it… for as long as I can…" he added faintly after he finally plunged the dagger into the center of the dark entity so that it would release Regina at last, as the pirate captain struggled to keep his eyes on Emma's. "…until you can find a way to stop me. Aah!"

Robin embraced Regina as she ran back to him once she was freed from the evil, while Emma attempted to race back to Killian when he screamed out in pain until both of her parents grabbed hold of her to keep her back as she shouted, "It should be me!"

Hook stood as tall as he could as he replied again, "It's better that it's me… making this sacrifice… than for anyone else. You know it, Emma. Just promise me… Promise me no matter what happens… that you will remember me as I am now. As a… a hero. Not the monster… I'm about to become."

"I promise," she answered him desperately. "I love you too. I always will. I will find a way to save you, Killian…"

"Stay… stay strong, Emma," he whispered until at last, the darkness fully consumed him and Killian screamed in anguish as it did, until finally the entity vanished as though it were never there.

Back in the present, within Hades' lair…

Before the nightmare could continue or change again like they've done time and time again, Killian was startled from his memory as Hades suddenly snapped his newest arrival from the back of his mind with a jolt so that he would be conscious for when the God began to talk to him again. Killian struggled to regain his bearings while he looked around the best he could and found himself once again on his knees and bound in shackles, this time holding him by the crook of his elbows, rather than by his wrists to keep them stretched out tightly at his sides.

However, before he became fully aware again, Hades appeared within his line of sight as the God knelt down before him and smiled at him smugly as he said, "Welcome back. I'm sorry for being detained longer than I expected I'd be. I promised you we would have ourselves a more productive conversation this time around. The first time I tried talking to you, you weren't exactly lucid. Having just died and with you struggling to come to terms with all the pain and suffering you caused during your brief time as the Dark One and all."

Killian just glared at him until he finally turned away to stare down at the floor in front of him while Hades stood again so he could circle around the pirate and continued, "I have to tell you… you were glorious. That is, when you actually allowed yourself to accept the darkness and its power. I have been watching you for a very long time, Captain. Long before you ever became the infamous Captain Hook, but especially after you became that marvelous villain you used to be. I greatly admired that man and all of the good work you once accomplished while you were him. You sent a lot of souls my way and I'm extremely grateful. So much so… that I would like to offer you a chance to become one of my emissaries. Help me to rid what remains of hope in this world and if you can gain my trust, I may even allow you to leave the Underworld from time to time. So long as you swear to serve me by collecting even more souls belonging to the fools from the land of the living by making deals. What do you say, Captain? Will you accept my terms? Refuse me, and your life as my slave will be… for the lack of a better word… Hell."

Killian raised his head so he could look into firmly Hades' eyes when the God finally stopped circling around him, while he defiantly responded, "The darkness may continue to haunt me despite it having been destroyed, but I gave my life to do it in order to protect the woman and all of those I love. I won't ever give into it again. The darkness being that of some dark entity, or otherwise. Especially not for my own wellbeing. I don't care what happens to me. You're not the first deity I've ever faced, and he didn't scare me. Neither do you. So… you can take your deal and shove off."

"I knew you were stubborn," Hades replied crossly. "But I also figured there might still be some small part of you that might fight to protect himself as you once did, especially since you're now trapped here in a world where you haven't even begun to see the kinds of anguish I can inflict upon you. It's a real pity that this Savior you love so much has completely destroyed you. You and me, we could have done so much together. Tell me about her. What about this woman do you love so much?"

"Come on," the deity uttered again in frustration, when Killian didn't answer him. "Do you honestly believe that she loves you as much as you love her? I've seen into your mind, so I know that she was about to sacrifice herself to the darkness to save the former Evil Queen and all of those up there in that quaint little town those heroes up there call Storybrooke, but… Would she have sacrificed herself just for you like you did for her?"

The Captain stared straight ahead as he responded, "We're not talking about her or about anyone else I care about. And I don't care about what you think of my actions. Neither now, nor back when I was a villain. You won't trick me into whatever it is you want from me. I've allowed myself to become manipulated by villains like you before. Never again."

Hades suddenly grabbed Killian by his hair and roughly pulled his head back to force his captive to look up at him again, then cruelly sneered, "There are no other villains like me. Maybe I can't convince you to help yourself, but there are other ways for me to get what I want. And soon enough, you are going to help me get something that's far more valuable than even a hundred more souls. But for now, it's time for you to go back to your prison that I've designed just for you, Captain. You think you're in pain now… just you wait."

Finally, the God of the Underworld motioned to his minions still standing nearby to unshackle the pirate, then ordered them to take him back. Killian didn't struggle against them as much as he might have wanted to. Instead, he just continued to stare up at Hades until the men forced him to his feet, then shoved him forward to get him to walk, as they walked towards the boat floating within the green river in front of him which Killian would eventually learn was known as the River of Lost Souls.


	2. Chapter 2

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Two

Once the Jolly Roger was brought in and docked within the harbor where Killian's ship belonged thanks to both Mr. Smee's and Henry's efforts, everyone other than Emma, Henry, and her parents left the vessel in order to make their way into town, to Granny's where they could get themselves a good meal that didn't consist of something made only in the medieval ages. Emma finally pulled away from her parents as they continued to comfort her after Hades' horrifying revelation, then asked them to give her a few moments alone with Killian again, which they did so she could cast the proper spells needed for the second half of their journey to save the man she loved.

Once she was alone with him, the Savior leaned over Killian's body again and kissed his cold lips gently as she raked her fingers through his hair, then finally closed her eyes while she cast a preservation spell over his body to keep him from decaying for as long as they would be gone. When she finished, Emma roamed her hand over his body as she cast a protection spell over him to keep him safe, then she stood straight again and raised her hands to cast a protection spell over the entire ship as well. She made a terrible mistake with the dagger by not placing a protection spell over it to keep it from Arthur's hands. She wasn't going to make the same mistake again should anyone want to keep her from bringing Killian's soul back from the Underworld.

At last, she finally left the Jolly Roger to join with her family and friends at Granny's, but not to eat like everyone else. All she wanted now was to explain to those who hadn't been in Camelot how Killian had made one final sacrifice and to let them know she'd be leaving Storybrooke again in hope of bringing the man she loved back home.

A few minutes earlier…

When everyone who had travelled with Emma to Camelot walked into the diner, the few of those already inside immediately stopped eating and talking, then cheered happily upon seeing that their friends had finally returned after having been gone over a week and immediately rose to greet them. Among them were Granny, Marco, Blue, Tinker Bell, Anton, the rest of the seven dwarfs, Ashley with her husband, Sean and their daughter, Alexandra, as well as Kathryn with her husband, Jim.

Marco quickly pulled his son and then Archie into a hug, while Leroy, Happy, and Doc were embraced by their brothers, and the women all took turns hugging the Charmings, then Regina and Robin as well when they finally walked in a short time later after they returned Zelena to her prison cell beneath the hospital where she belonged.

"Thank heavens all of you have returned safe and sound," Marco finally said out of relief once the greetings were shared.

"Only, not all of you have returned safely… have you?" Tink questioned worryingly upon seeing the sadness in their faces, and when it was finally recognized among them that two people were missing. "Where are Emma and Hook?"

While most of those who returned looked down sadly when the time came for them to share the tragedy that occurred while they were in Camelot, David was the one who spoke as he answered, "Emma stayed behind onboard the Jolly Roger for awhile because Hook… Well because Hook didn't survive this time. He gave his life in order to destroy the darkness once and for all. It's finally gone. There won't ever be another Dark One thanks to him."

The Green Fairy couldn't stop herself from letting out a quiet gasp as tears came to her eyes, while she and everyone else bowed their heads upon learning they had just lost a close friend. Even though many of them were only starting to really get to know Killian, everyone already saw him as the hero he truly was.

Marco wrapped his arms tighter around his son as he responded, "This is indeed a tragedy, for which we are all so sorry."

"We are," Ashley quickly replied. "Absolutely. Is there anything we can do? Anything we can help Emma with?"

"If you need help with the funeral arrangements, we're here for you," Kathryn added as she reached out to take her husband's hand, then turned her head to look over at him.

However, Hook's first mate then spoke up in objection saying, "There won't be a need for a burial. I mean no disrespect to any of you, but the Captain deserves to be given a pirate's funeral. He would want us to set sail, so his body can be dropped into the ocean."

Mary Margaret looked between Smee and the rest of their family and friends as she continued, "Whatever we do will be Emma's decision, not any of ours."

"Which is why there isn't going to be a funeral for Killian of any kind," Emma suddenly cut in as she entered Granny's through the back, before anyone else could give their own opinions over how their friend ought to be laid to rest. "I'm going into down into the Underworld to bring him back."

"You can't be serious?" Regina uttered sternly upon the Savior's sudden revelation when the Mayor saw the seriousness in Emma's eyes. "Emma… you can't just walk down into the Underworld, or open a portal there like we did to get to Camelot. The only way down there is death. And the only way to bring the dead back… is like Snow did for David when she gave him half of her heart, and even your heart won't bring Hook back because it's been too long since he's died. Not to mention how Neal died for Gold… which we know we absolutely can't do because of the consequences."

Emma looked down as she composed herself, then raised her head again while she answered dismally, "It turns out there's a third way to bring him back. The God of the Underworld made a special appearance to me, my parents, and Archie to gloat about having Killian as his prisoner."

Henry looked at his mother in surprise as he questioned, "You mean… Hades came to talk to you from the Underworld. The Greek God, Hades?"

"Believe me, I didn't believe it at first either, kid," she responded in frustration. "But it's true. And during our conversation, he let slip that there's actually a portal right here in Storybrooke that leads down into the Underworld. I won't go into the details, but my point is that I'm getting Killian back. I know it's crazy, but Killian sacrificed far more than any of you will ever know in order to protect us all and he suffered terribly for it. Now, he's suffering even more because this God is a cruel son of a bitch. It's my fault that Killian saw no other choice than to kill himself because he couldn't live with all he was forced to do. So, I… I have to save him no matter the risk."

"You're not actually going alone… are you?" Granny asked Emma sternly from where she stood once again behind the bar.

The Savior looked over at her parents, then she turned back to the rest of those in the diner as she replied, "I'm not asking any of you to risk your lives to help me save him. I love him, so this is my fight."

David wrapped his arm around his daughter and kissed the top of her head, then turned to look around at their friends as well while he continued, "I'm going with Emma to help her save Hook. Mary Margaret will be staying behind to take care of Neal, so she'll be the acting sheriff if any problems arise here in town."

"Then… I'm coming with you too," Tinker Bell stated suddenly, much to everyone's surprise. "Hook's been a close friend to me despite our rocky past. If there's even the slightest chance to save him, then I'm willing to risk my life for him like he's done for me."

"I agree with Tink," Smee added anxiously. "I've been risking my life alongside my Captain for far longer than any of you have and he's saved my life on countless occasions. He may have been a villain, but he was always good to me and paid me my dues. We were friends whether he admitted it to the rest of our crews or not. Hook was my closest friend. Besides… out on that battlefield while we fought against Arthur and his knights, he asked me to hand over the magic sword and the flame to Merlin even though they were his only chance to be saved from the darkness himself. I obeyed my Captain because it's what I've always done, but it killed me to do it this time. I'm coming too."

It was then that Henry called out, "Me too."

However, both Emma and Regina immediately retorted in unison, "Absolutely not!"

"I know you don't want to hear this, Henry… but you're too young to take a trip down into a place like the Underworld," Regina answered, while Emma allowed her to finish explaining why both of his mothers objected. "I'm proud of you for being brave enough to be willing to go too, but I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you. I can't risk losing you."

"I understand, Mom," he responded to the woman who adopted him, then quickly glanced over at Emma as well before turning back to Regina. "However, I need you to go then so you can help protect Mom and Grandpa. The others too of course, but… Please."

Regina looked over at Robin who nodded as a way of showing he was willing to join them in their quest to save Killian once again, then the Queen pulled her son into a hug and quietly replied, "It looks like you have yourself a deal. Emma, it appears that Robin and I will be coming too."

By the end of their discussion as to who all would be joining Emma in travelling down into the Underworld to bring back their friend, both August and Leroy had decided to join their friends as well. After the sacrifice that Killian had made in Camelot to save him, Archie wanted to volunteer to join them as well, but he was by no means a fighter and knew he would be of no help to his friends in a place as treacherous as the Underworld. So, he turned back to the counter beside him to pick up the food Granny had made for him, then quietly left the diner to head to his office where he could be alone to try to contemplate all that's happened. No one really noticed other than Marco, and Emma.

 _Robin turned back to Emma again once it was finally decided who all was going as he asked, "_ _Uh… forgive me if I'm missing the obvious, but um… how does one get to the Underworld?"_

"Like I said, there's a portal here that will get us there," the Savior answered with concern, knowing that the former Dark One might not be so willing to help the man who was still his enemy even if the darkness did no longer consume him. "But first I have to talk with Gold."

"I'm afraid that might be difficult," the Blue Fairy responded. "Gold has yet to come to ever since the darkness was expelled from his body. It's like he's been put under a sleeping curse himself, only true love's kiss isn't powerful enough to wake him. There must be a way, but we still have yet to find it."

Emma let out a sigh of frustration until all of a sudden, one of the Author's books Henry was carrying on him came to life in his backpack as it fought to open until the teenager quickly pulled it out and laid it down flat on the table in front of him to allow it to do so. The pages immediately began to shuffle on their own until the book fell open upon the first page of one of Hook's stories that told of how the pirate and Rumplestiltskin had become bitter enemies, as well as a picture showing Killian before he had become Captain Hook in which he was shown holding his sword to his enemy's head.

Emma and the young Author stared at the page until Emma suddenly felt a surge of power within her, as she also remembered part of a conversation Killian had once had with her some time ago and quickly uttered, "I know what we have to do. I'm not sure how this book knew what we needed… or how I understand what it's telling us, but I do. We need something that touched Gold before he became the Dark One and Killian once told me he had taken his cutlass, put it to his head when Gold was still a coward like what's shown in this picture, and he taunted him with it. The blade must have touched him. Kid, Mom, Dad, Blue, Regina… meet me at the pawnshop in twenty minutes. I'll head back to Killian and get his sword. However, there's one more thing I have to do before any more decisions are made. I have to talk to someone."

The others nodded while David replied, "We'll be there."

Emma nodded and turned to leave the diner, after which she began to walk down the street towards Archie's office where she suspected the doctor might have gone upon leaving Granny's himself. Ever since she had asked Archie to leave Hook's quarters aboard the Jolly Roger just after Hades had vanished, she had been wanting to talk with him.

However, it wasn't just about the concern and regret she had seen in his eyes before he had left the diner that worried her. Even though Emma was ready to enter the Underworld to save the man she loved and she wasn't afraid for herself, she was afraid for those who were about to put their lives once again in her hands on an even greater level and the truth was, her decision to allow them to join her in this more dangerous quest terrified her.


	3. Chapter 3

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Three

After Archie arrived at his office with Pongo, he walked in and then over to his desk to turn on the lamp light. Night had fallen in Storybrooke as it had in Camelot, so the room was pitch black when he entered. But once he was able to see again, he slowly looked around until his eyes sadly stopped on a spot on his couch… the same spot where Hook sat the last time he had come to talk with him a few weeks ago so he could ask Archie if he would be sure to tell Emma just how much he loved her in case anything happened to him like Killian feared was about to.

The psychiatrist turned his head and started to put away some of the paperwork he had left out before joining the others on their trip to try to save their friend, until he quit when his thoughts kept falling back to that night. Finally, Archie walked over and apprehensively sat down in the space beside the Captain's place on the couch, then allowed his mind to wander back to his last session with Killian knowing that the memory would come to him again whether he wanted it to or not.

A few weeks ago, while Emma was out of town with Regina to find Lily and to save Robin…

Archie stood at his desk as he finished gathering his things together to go home for the night, when a knock unexpectedly sounded at the door. When whoever it was didn't knock a second time or enter right away, the doctor walked over and opened it to find out who was coming to see him after his normal hours. Much to his surprise, Hook was standing there, only he had already begun to turn away to leave before Archie could answer until the door was opened to him.

He looked at his friend as Killian turned back around to face him, then spoke up with concern in his voice saying, "Good evening, Killian. You're here awfully late. And you look exhausted… like you haven't slept in weeks. Is everything alright?"

The pirate captain cleared his throat nervously when Archie stepped aside to allow for Killian to walk past him so he could enter, then did so while he responded, "Says the cricket who is still here himself."

"Fair point…" Archie replied and closed the door again, then he turned around to face Hook, who remained standing beside the umbrella rack in the corner of the room until the psychiatrist also motioned for him to have a seat on the couch so they could talk more comfortably. "But you didn't actually answer my question. Are you doing alright?"

"I suppose I wouldn't be here at this hour if I were," Killian reluctantly answered and then finally sat down like Archie requested for him to do. "I'm sorry for coming here so late. If you're leaving, I can go."

The doctor smiled and shook his head, then sat down next to his friend while he responded, "It's all right… really. It's like you said, I'm still here myself. What can I help you with?"

Hook looked down at his hand as he thought for a moment and replied, "I'm not really sure where to begin. It's complicated. And the truth is… I'm not sure if there's a real reason I should be concerned, or if it's all in my head and I'm worried over nothing."

"Well, what's troubling you?" Archie questioned him again. "I'm guessing that whatever it is, it's been bothering you for some time, or you wouldn't be here."

"Aye," Killian answered quietly. "I can't help but worry… about Emma and her losing her heart to the darkness that Gold is trying very hard to put there. I know how it feels and believe me, it's an incredibly difficult hole to claw your way back out from. However, I also fear something even worse is coming. Something… something other than what Gold has planned for us all. I'm not sure why, but I can't seem to shake this feeling and the truth is… I'm scared. For Emma… for her parents and son… But also about myself to be perfectly honest. I'm afraid that if I lose Emma too… the way I lost Milah to Rumplestiltskin as well… then I'll fall back into the darkness I've fought so hard to break away from. If I do, I will never be able to push it away again. Certainly not without Emma. It took centuries for me to do so this time. I don't want to become that man again, but I know myself and I'm weak."

When he finished, the man of conscience looked into his friend's eyes while he responded, "You're hardly weak, Killian. I mean… just think about all that you've accomplished. You've changed from the man you were when you first came here. You're a good man… a hero. Not a villain. And you're also a good friend. To me that is, as well as to pretty much everyone in this town. I'm sure that everyone else would say the same thing too. Your biggest struggle is your fear of your own self and believe me, I understand a little of what that feels like. Tell me why you're so afraid that something terrible is coming. Have you been having dreams, or nightmares? Is it a feeling, or do you think perhaps it's just your fear trying to tear you down?"

The Captain looked away again as he stated, "I don't know. It could be any of those things, or perhaps it's just… instinct. That's why I'm here. I was hoping you might be able to tell me. But whatever it is, it's getting worse. Every day. And if there's one thing that I do know for sure, it's that if there's a way I can stop it… to protect Emma from it… I'll find it. I would give my life for her."

"For all of us, I suspect," Archie despondently replied. "I believe you would. Another quality in you that shows just how much you've really changed. I pray it never comes to that."

"If it does… in case should something happen to me, Archie… I need you to do me a favor," Killian then answered more sternly. "I need you to promise me you will tell Emma how much I love her. Remind her for me. I've loved her since our first kiss in Neverland, if not before then. I knew there was something special about her from the moment I first laid my eyes on her in the Enchanted Forest, fighting on the opposite side. I regret I couldn't let go of my damn pride sooner, but I'm who I am now because of her. I need her to understand that and to always remember it, in case I can't be here to tell her so myself."

The doctor continued to look at the pirate still sitting beside him and then he responded again, "I promise. I promise, but it won't ever come to that. Everything's going to be okay because you, Emma, and everyone else… you will defeat whatever Gold has planned and any other villains who might come after all this is over to try to destroy us. That's just what heroes do, Killian. It's what you do."

Hook turned back to the cricket and smiled, then in sincerity he replied, "I appreciate that you see more in me than I'll ever be able to see in myself. Thank you, Dr. Hopper. You're a good man. And you're very good at what you do."

When the memory ended again…

Archie finally turned away from the spot on the couch he'd been staring at for however long his mind had drifted off into his thoughts, as he lifted his hand up to his face and pulled off his glasses in order to wipe away the tears clouding his eyes before they could fall, but as he did so, a knock suddenly sounded at the door much to his surprise and he rose back to his feet, then walked over to open it up.

"Emma?" he uttered upon seeing the Savior standing there with Killian's sword in her hands. "I'm surprised, but… Please, come in and have a seat."

"Thank you, Archie," she answered quietly, then walked inside while the doctor closed the door again behind her.


	4. Chapter 4

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Four

"It's funny… you and Killian both have a habit of coming here late and after my normal hours," Archie said when he turned around to face her while Emma sat down on an arm of the couch instead of on one of its cushions, then lowered her head sadly at the mention of Killian's name and he immediately recognized his mistake. "I'm so sorry, Emma. I didn't mean to…"

"You don't have anything to be sorry for, Archie," the Savior replied before the psychiatrist could finish apologizing to her. "It's all right to say his name. I'm not going to break over something so small. I understand that his death hasn't sunk in for any of us just yet. I'm having trouble accepting it myself. It just hurts… that's all. That's why I'm really here, other than to make sure you're okay too. I couldn't help but notice the regret and concern in your eyes before you left Granny's earlier."

The doctor smiled as he responded, "I only regret that there wasn't anything more I could do to help him. I know neither of you blame me for allowing the dagger to fall into Arthur's hands and I realize now you were right. But I still feel like I should have been able to do something else. And even now… You're about to risk everything again to try to save him from Hell itself and I know that I can't join you this time. I'd like to, but I would only be a hindrance to all of you down there. I'm not a fighter like you all are."

Emma looked up into his eyes again and answered, "I would never expect any different from you. It's important that you remain just as you are because we need people here who don't fight with swords, guns, and their fists… but with words instead. And you're the best conscience I've ever been privileged to know. I wouldn't ask you to come with us, not because you'd be a hindrance to us. Because I wouldn't want you to get hurt… or worse."

"Back when the Snow Queen had just made herself known to us, Killian assured me he was a survivor because I told him I was afraid I'd lose him," she continued while she rested the sword against the side of the couch, then finally sat down on one of its cushions instead as she pulled out his brother's ring he had given to her in Camelot to show it to Archie. "He believed it was because of this ring that belonged to his brother. And I realize… he must have been right because Killian died not long after he gave it to me."

"He was a survivor because Killian was needed to become a part of our lives now… in this time," Archie replied steadfastly, then sat down in his chair across from her. "He was waiting to find the woman who could redeem him and who could help him find his happy ending. He fought to survive this long for you."

 _Emma's mind drifted back to the night Killian spoke to her about being a survivor, when she saw herself as she kept on walking past him and it was clear to her she was still angry with him at that moment, but Hook made a gesture for her to join him while he called out to her saying, "Swan! Don't make a man drink alone."_

 _Still annoyed, Emma responded coldly, "Not in the mood for a drink or a man."_

 _"_ _I'm sorry I didn't listen to you today," he answered as she walked out into the middle of the street while he swiftly chased after her, then finally used his hook to grab hold of the crook of her elbow to turn her around so that she was facing him. "All right, I know you feel like you've got the weight of the world on your shoulders. But at some point, even though we're quite different, you've got to trust me."_

 _"_ _That's what you think this is about?" she asked while she stared at him in surprise. "That I don't trust you?"_

 _Hook looked back at her feeling slightly confused as he asked, "Is that not what it's about?"_

 _The blonde woman replied firmly, "Of course I trust you."_

 _"_ _Then why do you keep pulling away from me?" he asked again in frustration upon raising his voice in anger._

 _"_ _Because everyone I've ever been with is dead," Emma cried out with fear, his eyes softening upon hearing her confession as she continued to admit how she felt as though she was desperate to get the hard truth she had been hiding from him all this time out into the open. "Neal and Graham. Even Walsh. I lost everyone. I... I can't lose you, too."_

 _Tears came to her eyes as Killian kept his gaze on her, his expression being one of comfort while he responded brazenly, "Well, love, you don't have to worry about me. If there's one thing I'm good at, it's surviving."_

 _Emma's own face softened while he continued to look into her eyes for a few moments and she into his before Killian suddenly pulled Emma firmly against him and began to kiss her passionately. This time, just like when they had kissed days ago, her instinct to push him away never came as she continued to kiss him back, not wanting this moment between them to end._

Emma looked at Archie again and continued to talk to him as she stated darkly, "I'm angry, Archie. Of course not at Killian for losing every ounce of hope he had left that he could actually continue to live with the darkness still inside of him as Gold has done all this time. I don't know if I would have been able to live with myself either and Killian's suffered from darkness his entire life. Nor am I just angry at Hades for torturing the man I love, even though that's a big part of it. No… I'm angry at fate, or destiny, or whatever up there believes is in control of our lives… because it turned Killian into a liar when he promised me I would never lose him. I finally admitted to myself that I truly loved him and I allowed myself to admit it to him. Is that really fate's cruel plan for me? For me to finally find a man who I hoped to spend the rest of my life with, only for it to take him away from me?"

"Why have you really come here, Emma?" the man of conscience questioned, watching as Emma began to twirl the ring she was holding around one of her fingers while she stared down at it with sadness in her eyes. "Is it to ask me to convince you not to go down into the Underworld to save Killian, when you know that you won't dissuade yourself from going? When you know in your heart that you have to go? If it was me who lost someone I loved, as much as you love Killian… I would sacrifice everything for her. Just as Killian sacrificed everything for you and your family, as well as his friends."

"I don't want anyone to come with me," the Savior answered him worryingly. "I planned on going alone because saving him is my fight. But now suddenly there are others coming with me because they're all willing to risk their lives to save him like I am. It's not that I'm not grateful because I am. It's just that I'm terrified. What if someone else dies? What if I lose everyone, just in trying to save someone I've already lost? Even if I were to succeed in bringing Killian back… what kind of condition will he be in? What if… what if he's no more than an empty shell when I revive him?"

Archie replied, "I can't imagine what he's suffering through while he's imprisoned in a realm that is ruled by a God as evil as Hades. I can only tell you that I believe you are doing the right thing because this… it's what we do for the people we truly love, Emma. We fight with everything we have within us even at the risk of our own lives to protect and save them. And as for everyone who's coming with you to help you save him, they all know the risks as well as you do. You didn't ask them to come with you. Doing so is their own choice because they care for Hook too. Don't put so much pressure on yourself. The weight of the world is far too much of a burden for any one person to bear alone. Let your family and your friends help you."

Emma smiled at Jiminy Cricket, then stood again as she suddenly leaned towards him and kissed his cheek before finally responding, "I really appreciate your support and your encouragement, Archie. And for telling me exactly what I needed to hear."

"I have to go," she quickly added as she reached out to grab the hilt of Killian's cutlass and then turned to leave. "We have to help Gold first so that he can help us find the portal and then enter into the Underworld. Otherwise… all of this planning will have been a waste of time."

"Just be careful," the doctor answered her in concern. "And good luck. Don't lose hope that you'll find him down there. You're the Savior. You're his Savior, remember? Killian always had faith in you and now you need to have faith in yourself. You'll save him, Emma. Believe that."


	5. Chapter 5

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Five

Emma finally arrived at Gold's shop and when she walked inside, she was glad to find her parents were already there with Neal in her mother's arms, as were Henry, Blue, Regina, and Robin like she had requested. She was also glad to see Belle among them, as the beauty was sitting on the bed in the back room beside her husband who was still unconscious just like Gold had been the last time the Savior saw him on the night that her hope of a life of happiness with the man she loved was suddenly destroyed within a terrible single moment.

Tears were falling from Belle's eyes when she entered the room and Emma immediately looked down at her worryingly as she asked, "Belle… are you alright? Is Gold…"

The red haired woman reached up to her cheeks to wipe the tears away the best she could while she answered despondently, "Your parents told me about Killian and his sacrifice just before you walked in here. Emma, I am so sorry. My God… this is my fault. If I hadn't come to you seeking help to save Rumple… If I just could have been what Rumple needed me to be so that he never would have come to be so evil… Killian never would have been forced to take the darkness into himself and both he and the Apprentice would still be alive."

"What happened to them isn't your fault, Belle," the Savior replied to her assuredly. "The darkness did all of this, but it's been destroyed at last thanks to Killian. And a few people we met in Camelot are also to blame for Killian's death. So am I."

"No you're not, Emma," Mary Margaret responded worryingly when she and David looked over at their daughter.

Emma glanced over at her sadly until she quickly recomposed herself again, then turned back to Gold as she raised the cutlass she carried with her and continued, "Right now whoever's to blame doesn't matter. We're here because I need Gold's help to save Killian, but to get it I need to wake him."

The beauty looked among the others standing around her in confusion, then looked down at her husband as well, then she questioned, "Can you really wake him?"

"I hope so," Emma stated again, then lifted Killian's blade above the former Dark One's chest. "We need something that once touched Gold back when he was a man, before the darkness ever corrupted his heart. Thanks to the storybook, we know this cutlass did."

The Blue Fairy then took the sword from Emma when she handed it over to her and summoned her power into her hand holding the blade's hilt as she suddenly disintegrated it, then allowed the remnants to fall over the man lying still beneath her as they became implanted into his body. At first nothing happened, until a few seconds later when all of a sudden, Gold weakly began to awaken as if from a deep sleep and Belle immediately sat down beside him again while she wrapped her arms around the man she loved so she would be the first person he would see when he opened his eyes.

"Rumple… I'm right here," she whispered gently while she waited for him to fully come to, as Emma stepped back a few feet in order to wait for the right moment to talk with him about going down into the Underworld. "Can you hear me? You're going to be alright now."

At last he looked up into his wife's teary eyes as she smiled down at him, then turned his head to look at those around him and in confusion he asked, "Belle… Miss. Swan… What's happening? How is this possible?"

Belle smiled down at him as she answered, "Emma found a way to save you. And not just now, but from the darkness as well. It's gone, Rumple. The darkness has been removed from your heart and you're no longer the Dark One. You're going to be okay."

"Then who is?" the weakened man questioned again. "The only way you could have saved me from the darkness is if you tethered the entity to someone else. It needs itself a host."

"The Apprentice used a very powerful spell to pull it out of your blackened heart before it could consume you once and for all," David reluctantly replied when Emma turned away to try to push back down her despair over losing Killian when his death was about to be spoken of again. "However, the spell wasn't powerful enough to keep the darkness contained for long and it escaped."

When he stopped for a moment to try to think of his next words more carefully, it was then that Regina spoke up to finish instead saying, "The entity almost consumed me because like you said, it needed a host to become tethered to and of course being the Evil Queen… it chose me. Emma was about to offer herself up to it using the dagger in order to save me, only Hook grabbed the dagger from her and sacrificed himself instead. The darkness consumed him making him the new Dark One, dragged him away to Camelot where the darkness was born, and we followed after him to try to save him too. However, once again he wound up saving us and in the end…"

Suddenly, Emma pronounced angrily, "Killian used the dagger and Excalibur to take his own life to save us all and to destroy it once and for all. He lost the battle and allowed it to consume him fully, but he did manage to find his way back. Only he couldn't live with the terrible things he was forced to do as the Dark One like you've been able to do. He couldn't live as the Dark One any longer. Now, Killian's trapped in the Underworld with a cruel and ruthless God who calls himself Hades. And I'm going down there to bring him home. Which is why I need you to tell me where the portal to the Underworld is here."

"If I knew where it was, if it even exists… You can't possibly think that entering the Underworld even if it is to try to bring the pirate back from the dead is a wise choice," Gold responded sternly as he struggled to lift himself up from lying back against the bed for so long with Belle's help, while he looked directly up at the Savior standing in front of him.

"Hades said you would know," she retorted more gently than before. "He wants something from me, so I know he wasn't lying about there being a way to enter the Underworld without dying first. Please, Gold. I know you and Hook have had your differences and there's a lot of hate you've harbored for him, but he's changed and so have you now."

Rumple answered, "Miss. Swan… I sympathize for your loss. However…"

 _The former Dark One finally stood on his feet as he looked between everyone again while he continued, "_ _The Underworld is worse than you can possibly imagine. It's gonna make you wish the old stories of fire and brimstone were true. It's gonna make you wish for death. And then the realization will hit… that death has already come, and this fresh torture is all that's left."_

"We won't be entering the realm already dead," Robin replied worryingly when the smaller man turned his head to glance over at the archer. "We'll have the advantage."

"If you go down there believing that, then it won't be long before you do become a dead man," Gold curtly responded. "None of you can go down there thinking like that or you will all die. You should be scared if you really insist on making this suicidal journey, but you must keep your wits about you as well."

David quickly asked, "So you'll help us then?"

When Rumple finally looked into Belle's eyes again, he let out a sigh of frustration and then reluctantly answered, "It appears it's the right thing to do even if I don't agree with all of yours decision. The pond in Storybrooke Heritage Park… there you will find the portal that will allow you to enter into the Underworld. Once opened, the boatman known as Charon will arrive to take you down into Hades' realm. However, you will be needing one more thing."

"The blood of a man who's been there and back," Emma replied, as Gold glanced back at her with surprise that she already knew what he was about to tell her. "Hades told me when he came to talk to me onboard the Jolly Roger as we were travelling back from Camelot. Please… If Belle died, don't tell me you wouldn't be willing to make this same choice on your own in order to save her too. You may hate Hook, but he died saving you too. You owe it to him to help me save him now."

"The portal can only be opened at a very precise moment within the night as the moon shines over the water," he responded quietly as he turned and walked to a window in order to look outside. "Seeing as the moon is hidden tonight behind the clouds in the sky, it appears you will have to wait until tomorrow night to begin your next quest. I will meet you there about midnight in order to give you what it is you need. Just don't expect me to join you. It's like you said, Miss. Swan… I'm no longer the Dark One. I wouldn't be of any help to you even if I wanted to be. Now if you'll get out… I'd like to be alone with my wife."

Emma simply nodded as she sensed the frustration, even anger swelling up within the former Dark One, then reached out as she gently squeezed Belle's arm comfortingly and finally followed her family and friends out of the shop to do like Gold asked so he could be alone with his wife.


	6. Chapter 6

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Six

Back in the Underworld…

After what felt like hours since Hades' minions had returned the pirate captain to his prison, Killian gasped in pain while he finally struggled to sit up from having been dragged between the thugs and thrown down into a dimly fire lit pit with chain linked shackles locked tightly to his upper arms and ankles, then he leaned back against one of the walls behind him to try to help him to remain upright. When he opened his eyes again, he weakly looked around him to try to get a better look at his surroundings because he wasn't lucid enough to do so before.

Killian found that his hook and brace were missing like he expected, as most of those who've ever taken him prisoner in his past have done to prevent him from using his hook to help him escape. And when he looked up, he also saw he was several feet beneath the ground of whatever part of Hell he was trapped in. Four torches burned at the top of each corner of the pit and finally, a single chain hung down from above that was attached to his shackles so that whoever came to drag him out of his prison at any point could pull him up.

"You know… this rock pit reminds me of one I was once held prisoner in as well, when my daughter and I were trapped in the Enchanted Forest," a familiar voice spoke out from the shadows within a corner of the pit until the person it belonged to walked into the light enough for Killian to see Mary Margaret now standing a few feet away from him. "Only, this one's a bit bigger than that one was. You're lucky."

"Mary Margaret?" Killian uttered strangely, while he stared up at the woman wearing a white blouse, pink sweater, and jeans just as she was back when he first met her and Emma in the Enchanted Forest in surprise upon seeing her trapped with him. "But how… You're not really here, are you?"

She smiled at him callously and then responded, "I'm about as real as you're willing to believe I am, Killian. Is there a reason why you might be feeling guilty because of something you might have done to that real Princess up there in the land of the living?"

He allowed his head to fall back against the wall still behind him as he closed his eyes again and answered, "This is to be Hades' newest form of torture then. To see the ghosts of all those I've wronged in life as they torment me with my own guilt? Or just those I've wronged since becoming the bloody Dark One?"

"You've got it," Emma's mother replied smugly, then knelt in front of him. "Your first guess that is. So, what was it you did to her that's killing you inside? It could help you to talk about it."

"I doubt it," the Captain responded. "But you're a hallucination from my own mind, so you know as well as I that you're right about me feeling guilty. I nearly strangled you to death along with your husband. Her husband. I worked with Cora years ago to try to kill Mary Margaret back then too. Nearly prevented… No. We're not going to do this. You're not going to try to convince me to give anything away to help Hades."

All of a sudden, the delusion of Mary Margaret faded away when another appeared in the form of his own brother as Liam knelt down next to the younger Jones as he spoke cruelly saying, "That isn't why this is the torture Hades chose for you, little brother. He already knows all he needs to know about you and those you love."

Killian turned his head to face his long dead brother as he answered, "I can handle whatever hallucinations that are conjured up in this hellish pit. While I was still alive and fighting against the darkness, I saw delusions of both Rumplestiltskin and Nimue. Years ago after I lost you… after I lost Liam, I saw delusions of him too any time I fell into a drunken stupor. Whatever it is you're after, you won't get it."

"I've already told you, Killian… I didn't come here to get anything from you," the ghost replied darkly. "I'm here to make you suffer because we both know you carry heavy guilt over my death, after you buried it so deep down inside of you so that no one would ever see it unless you wanted them to. Well… except for Emma of course. She always could see through you no matter what you did to hide yourself away."

"Like I told Hades… we're not talking about her," the younger Jones retorted crossly while he glared back at the demon with his brother's face. "We're not going to speak of Liam or any of the rest of my sins anymore either. I know all that I've done! I've known the monster I am my whole life and I've never believed any differently about myself. Is that what you want to hear?"

Once again the delusion faded away when Emma suddenly appeared from the shadows and also walked forward until she was standing just above him, then Killian closed his eyes as he struggled to drown her voice out while she responded, "Maybe so, Killian. Maybe you have accepted that you're still a monster, but that's only because you lived with the darkness inside of you for a short time. But a small part of you actually believes you had become somewhat of a hero for the woman you love so you could win her heart. But just like you deceived me… you have deceived yourself even more."

She slowly knelt down in front of him as she continued, "You were never a hero. You were always just a villain who pretended to be something more because you were afraid of who you are. You are weak because you couldn't live with the guilt that's plagued you since you got your brother killed, as well as after you've murdered all those you've killed since you became a pirate and then the Dark One like your oldest enemy… And on top of all of that, you destroyed any chance you might have had with Emma from the moment you greedily took the darkness into yourself and accepted its power just like Rumplestiltskin did so eagerly too. Deep down, you wanted the power for yourself so that you would have an excuse for your horrific actions while being who it was you really are. You could have had your crocodile and you would have had the darkness to blame his death on just to make yourself still appear a hero in poor Emma Swan's eyes. Yet even with all that power, you still couldn't kill him. You're pathetic!"

"She must have seen right through you, Killian," Milah added when she too appeared as Emma's ghost vanished like all the rest. "No matter how much you might have tried to deceive her and yourself, Emma always must have known that deep down you were always just a monster. She never really loved you. How could she? She only pretended to love you so she could keep you on her leash. Your latest whore was right. You really have become a pathetic version of the legendary Captain Hook whom I used to love. How foolish I was to really love you. On second thought… I'm not so sure I did love you either. The truth is, you were only good for our nightly wild romps. Since making love to my husband repulsed me."

Before Killian could stop her, Milah leaned in close and began to kiss him. Tenderly at first, until she slowly began to heighten her seduction as she started to reach one of her hands beneath his tattered shirt to touch his skin. However, he swiftly grabbed her hand and shoved the delusion of the woman he loved and grieved over for two hundred years away from him.

"You threw my memory aside like I never existed the moment you met that other woman," the dark haired woman said to him again. "Eventually, you would have thrown her away for someone even more interesting too. Emma Swan was nothing more to you than a pretty blonde distraction. Admit it, Killian. Admit it, and just maybe you might find yourself a little relief from this hell you have created for yourself down here. As a reward for good behavior."

Emma suddenly appeared again on his other side while this time Milah's ghost remained as well, as his delusion of the Savior also leaned in even closer than his former lover had moments ago and began to caress Killian's cheek, then began to kiss him like Milah had done while the other woman stood on her feet again so she could step back. However, while Emma's kisses deepened, she suddenly plunged a replica of the Dark One dagger with Rumplestiltskin's name engraved across its blade deep into his stomach like he had done himself to destroy the darkness, causing Killian to cry out in anguish and shock.

"You didn't sacrifice a damn thing for me!" her ghost sneered at him cruelly when she looked him again in his eyes as Killian struggled to look up into hers. "You wanted the darkness for its power so you could become even more powerful than Rumplestiltskin. You never gave up your revenge at all, did you? Admit it! This was always about killing your damn crocodile. I was only ever a means to an end. You pretended to love me so I would help you gain your revenge at last and so long as you had the darkness once it became yours, he didn't. You just needed to find your way back to Storybrooke so you could finally kill him. But then you sacrificed yourself instead… because in the end you were weak and had allowed yourself to grow soft, just as every other pirate and your enemies now knows about you too. Soft…"

"Pathetic," Milah added smugly as she reached down and yanked Killian's head back by gripping his hair tightly in her hand.

Finally, David also appeared among them while he spoke as well saying, "You're nothing but a poor excuse for a pirate who was never going to be good enough for my daughter."

Mary Margaret returned at last too as she uttered, "David's always been right about you."

"Tell me, Killian…" Emma seductively whispered to him again as she leaned in close once more, her face barely an inch away from his own, then reached her hand up to his cheek again to tenderly wipe away the tears that had begun to fall from his eyes. "Are you wishing for death to come for you? To take you away from all this pain and suffering you brought upon yourself? I'm afraid that won't be possible. Death has already come for you because you killed yourself like only cowards do. This is your eternal damnation and your sins will continue to haunt you… forever."

"Just… just as they sh… should," Killian answered weakly, as he closed his eyes again and swallowed before he closed his mouth at last to bite back his pain ridden gasps threatening to escape from him.

The delusions' taunts continued on and on for what felt like hours to Killian, when it really was no more than one… as his chains locked to the shackles he wore were suddenly pulled on, then the prisoner trapped within the pit began to be hauled out until Killian finally came face to face with a man he thought he had seen the last of on the night of the dreaded storm which had killed every member of a pirate crew except for himself and the older Jones brother. None other than the real Captain Silver and a few of those who had gone down with their ship.

The slave master smiled cruelly at him while Killian remained suspended in the air above their heads by his arms, as Silver stated, "Well… well… well… Hades told me you had finally arrived, but I almost didn't believe it after being trapped down in this hell for over two centuries waiting for a chance to gain my revenge at last."

All of a sudden, Hades appeared within blue flames in front of the pirate and his slave as well, as the God haughtily replied, "I promise you that you'll have a chance to torture this whelp of yours soon, but it won't be in front of Liam just yet. I have plans for him too."

"You told me the brothers Jones are the reason why my crew and I were all killed in the storm that night, while they survived because of some deal the older one made with you… all for glory," Silver angrily retorted as he turned away from the one handed man in front of him to face the ruler of this realm.

"I did… and it's the truth, but I don't want Liam to know of this one's arrival down here just yet," Hades responded and then turned back to look up at Killian, who was glaring down at him. "Right now, the older Jones has been very compliant with me and I prefer things to stay as they are for a little longer."

Killian spoke again in disbelief while he painfully uttered, "Wha… What you said about Liam… you're lying. He'd never make a deal… Not with you. Not… not like that."

The deity smiled cruelly as he sneered, "I can imagine how difficult this is for you to believe, but didn't you ever wonder how you both survived that night when everyone else aboard that ship died? And with the Eye of the Storm no less."

When Killian shook his head in denial, Hades let out a sigh and raised his hand to Killian's forehead once he used his magic to lower the chains suspending the prisoner until they were at eyelevel, then he continued, "Perhaps you will accept the truth if you see what happened that night for yourself. Allow me."

 _A memory that wasn't Killian's own was suddenly forced into his mind once he felt Hades' hand touch his forehead, as Killian then found himself within Silver's quarters aboard the old ship, and he saw his brother, Liam standing before him looking at a map in the dark, in an attempt to try and find a way to avoid the hurricane once the brothers took over Silver's ship and crew in their mutiny against the pirate captain._

 _"You know, reading without the proper light can do a real number on your eyes," the God said when he suddenly appeared before the older Jones without any use of theatrics._

 _"Who are you?" Liam asked him in surprise, not recognizing the stranger standing in front of him, nor having heard anyone enter the room._

 _"Who I am isn't important," Hades answered him coolly. "What is, is I'm here to help you. Here. Allow me."_

 _The deity stepped forward as he struck a match and lit the candle on the table between the men, then stated, "Ahh. Yeah. Yeah. There. That's better. You know, this mutiny isn't going to look good for you. Your dreams of captaining a ship in the King's Navy are over."_

 _Liam stared at the man in concern while he questioned, "My dreams? How do you know about them?"_

 _"I… I know a lot about you, Liam," Hades replied with a laugh, then sat down at the table. "Is it still dark in here? Let's try this."_

 _"You!" Liam immediately cried out in fear when the God swiftly set his hair on fire before magically lighting all the candles in the room, while he jumped back in shock. "You're a demon!"_

 _The man sitting down corrected him as he retorted, "Technically, I'm a God, but a lot of people make that mistake. I'm Hades, Lord of the Underworld."_

 _The older brother glared at him as he curtly asked, "What do you want?"_

 _"I want the precious cargo aboard this ship," the deity responded, while Liam's face changed to a look of confusion. "The beautiful, shiny, new souls you're trying to save."_

 _"Don't bother with that," he said smugly with a chuckle when Liam swiftly grabbed a sword and pointed it at Hades' chest. "You can't hurt me. I'm immortal. Lucky for you, I can't hurt you, either. At least not up here, not in the Overworld. That's what I call this place. My power has its limits here, which is why I came to offer you a deal. You agree to let this ship sink like I want, and I promise to use my magic to ensure you and your brother survive. And to sweeten the deal, I'll even throw in this…"_

 _Hades suddenly magically produced the deep blue glowing stone Silver and his crew had been after and upon seeing it in the God's hands, Liam became stunned by it as he uttered, "It's the Eye of the Storm."_

 _The God spoke again enticingly as he answered, "You deliver this to your King, and he'll give you anything you want, including that Navy job you've always wanted. Your dreams can be fulfilled."_

 _Within the memory, Killian watched as his brother stared between the priceless stone and the deity still holding it until Liam turned away as he thought of the deal placed before him. As much as the younger Jones could tell that Liam knew the decision he was about to make was wrong from how much he was struggling with making it, in the end the truth was that a deal between them was struck when the older Jones reached his hand out to the God to snatch the jewel._

"So… do you believe now that your brother isn't quite the perfect example you thought he was?" Hades asked his prisoner when the memory ended and he pulled his hand away to give Killian relief from the pain that came along with forcing the memory into his mind. "Because he isn't. I figured you finally have the right to know the truth, now that you're finally here in my realm… and dead."

"It doesn't matter," Killian replied weakly, without lifting his head from his chest to look at any of the men still surrounding him. "Just leave Liam out… of this. This is about me. Get on with whatever you… you've got planned."

The God of the Underworld smiled cruelly and looked around at the other pirates, then said, "Fine by me. What do you say, Silver? Shall we head back to your ship?"

The Captain looked towards the two men manning the wheel working the pulley which controlled the chains Killian was bound in and motioned for the pirates to give the slack so they could release him from them, then Silver turned back to Hades as he uttered, "I'll be glad to have at least one of my slaves back again. We've had two hundred years of our own hell for him to make up for."

Still shackled by his arms and ankles, the pirates under Silver's command dragged Killian between them as they made their way through the caverns and tunnels that made up the depths of the Underworld. Hades walked along among them while he and the older Captain who had been long dead talked quietly amongst themselves in a conversation Killian could barely make out one word of. At last, the deity suddenly vanished, leaving them alone with the prisoner so they could have their fun with him.


	7. Chapter 7

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Seven

Meanwhile, back in Gold's shop…

Once their friends were gone, Belle turned back the man she loved and watched him without saying another word to him, as Gold stiffly moved away from the bed to walk out into his shop. After doing so, he turned to the main counter, then raised his hand out while he focused on one of the books lying open upon it and tested himself to see if any of the darkness remained within him at all, as he attempted to summon the power he's lived with for over two hundred years now through his body, in hope of moving it telekinetically.

When he failed, the former Dark One lowered his arm towards his chest as he clenched his fist together in frustration until Belle walked up behind him, having seen what he had attempted to do, then she spoke up worryingly saying, "Your power is gone, Rumple. After all the pain it has caused you, a part of you still wants it. Don't you?"

Gold turned around to face his wife as he lowered his arm at his side while he replied quietly, "That's not true, Belle. I don't want it any longer. I'm grateful. Not having the darkness within me to corrupt my heart… it feels as though a giant weight has been lifted from me. I was only testing myself. I've lived with the power inside of me for centuries. It just feels strange not to have it in me any longer."

"I hope so," the beauty desolately answered while she pulled her husband into a firm embrace again and held him tightly against her as though she believed he would disappear from before her, or that the darkness having finally been destroyed was nothing more than just a dream that would fade away at any moment. "I've waited for this day for so long, Rumple. At last, you can be the good man you've longed to be since we met. The man I always believed you would be one day without the darkness there to come between our happiness."

"My only fear… is that now without the darkness inside of me, I am once again the man I was before it became a part of me," he quietly responded while he stared ahead darkly, until Belle pulled back so she could look at him again and he at her. "I'm nothing but a coward with a bad leg. What good am I to you now without my power?"

She looked into his eyes while she replied, "You are not a coward, Rumple. You may have made mistakes back before the darkness ever came into your life, but your actions didn't make you a coward. You tried to do what was best for your family. For Baelfire and…"

Gold knew what his wife was about to say until she cut herself off, then finished for her as he uttered coldly, "…and for Milah, you mean? Despite my other wife leaving me for my enemy, a part of me still did love her. And yet with or without the darkness in me to corrupt my heart, a majority of me also hated her for what she did. She betrayed me and abandoned me, but worse… she abandoned our son. However, I hated Hook even more. And because I did, killing Milah was only that much easier to do because I did it in front of him. Now he hasn't just taken her from me, but he's taken the darkness from me as well."

"You can't possibly still be angry at Killian," Belle said to him more crossly as she stepped back and looked at her husband with disappointment in her eyes. "Certainly not after what he's done for the both of us. He saved your life, Rumple. I will forever be grateful to him just as you should be. How can you still hold onto your hate for him? I hoped that your heart would be healed… even pure and cleansed of all evil now that the darkness has been removed from it. But I guess I was wrong."

"Forgive me, Belle," Gold answered when he immediately pulled his wife in close to him once again when she attempted to walk away. "You're right. It's wrong of me to keep blaming Hook for my own shortcomings. For everything I've ever blamed him and anyone else for. He has saved my life and for that… I will do my best to be grateful for his sacrifice. Which is why I will help Emma get down into the Underworld so she and the others can save him. But the truth is, I'm more afraid of the consequences of their actions. Because of Zelena, my son messed with life and death in order to bring me back from the dead and as a result, he died. I lost my only son and were it not for you in my life, I would have allowed the darkness to fully consume me long ago and unleashed my wrath on everyone here just to make Zelena pay. What will happen now when Emma and the others risk everything to try to save Hook? There's a slim chance they will succeed and should they fail, what will come of the Savior then? And on top of that, the God who rules the realm of the dead will not accept their attempt to steal back one of his souls. There will most assuredly be great consequences."

Belle looked at him sadly and then she responded, "I really do understand what you're saying, but... Is what Emma said true? Would you be willing to make the same sacrifice they're about to make for Killian, for me too should I die?"

Gold took her hand in his own and pulled it up to his lips to kiss it, then replied, "I would do anything for you, Belle. However, even though I have the blood needed to descend into the Underworld… Why do you think I haven't done as Emma is about to do for Hook, for my own son's life? Because the probable consequences are far too great and because I have been there. I suffered greatly down there after I died. I could never go back, especially now without my powers to defend myself against Hades' wrath. They are making a mistake even if the reasons for their journey are noble. I will help them save Hook by giving them my blood, but you and I should leave Storybrooke. Let's leave here ad start our life someplace new. Someplace where we can live happily… away from whatever consequences will come as a result of their actions, away from magic, and away from the dangers of living here among the rest of the heroes."

"Storybrooke is our home, Rumple," the beauty answered sadly. "As much as I fear what might come from this, and as wonderful as starting our lives over sounds without having to fear the future, we can't just run away from who we are. We're a part of this world. And I love everyone here. They've become my family almost as much as you and my father are. I don't wish to ever leave them. At least not right now. Maybe one day we can, but so long as there are threats out there that will continue to come against us, we cannot just run away from them when you and I are both needed here. Please understand, Rumple."

"Of course I understand," the former Dark One responded, then he pulled his wife in close for an embrace once more while Belle stared ahead of her with worry in her eyes. "I look forward to that day."


	8. Chapter 8

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Eight

Just before midnight, the next night…

Emma stood at the pond's edge where the water met the land beneath her feet as she waited nervously for everyone else to arrive so they could at last begin their perilous journey down into the Underworld, in hope of saving Killian from the ruthless God who ruled the realm of the dead far worse than King Arthur ruled Camelot. Both of Emma's parents walked down with her, while Mary Margaret was struggling to prepare herself to say goodbye to both her daughter and her husband for awhile, as fear that they might not return plagued her thoughts like it had plagued her in her dreams the night before too.

Tinker Bell and Smee were the next to arrive, followed shortly by Regina, Robin, and Henry, along with August and Marco, Blue, Grumpy with his brothers, and Archie, most of them having come to say goodbye to their loved ones who were making the journey and to wish them luck in saving Hook despite their own fears and concerns. Gold and Belle were the last of them to arrive. But once they had, the former Dark One kissed his wife, then walked over to stand on the water's edge beside the Savior.

"Are you truly certain you wish to do this, Miss. Swan?" Gold asked in genuine concern over her decision to risk everyone's lives just to try to save one man from Hell itself. "I know how much you love Hook and how much he sacrificed for…"

"You don't understand half of what Killian's has sacrificed for all of us," Emma retorted angrily even though she knew how unfair she was being towards him just because of the hate he held for Killian, particularly when he was there now willing to help her save him. "You weren't there with us in Camelot. I'm sorry. I don't mean to be so angry with you, Gold. It's just… Killian didn't deserve to die, especially not like that. He sacrificed everything to protect all of us. His humanity, his sanity, his soul… All for us. He shouldn't have had to die too. He gave everything he had. That's why I have to save him now. You all have a chance to stay here where you'll remain safe. I can do this on my own. I don't want anyone else to get hurt because of what I'm about to do anyways."

David looked down into his wife's eyes and smiled at her, then turned back to their daughter as he answered, "We're still coming with you. Or at least I'm coming with you. I owe Hook too. He deserves to know how grateful I am for making the sacrifices he made. Especially for you, Emma."

Emma looked around at everyone who had volunteered to come earlier at Granny's as they all nodded in agreement with David's proclamation, then the Savior smiled at them while she responded, "Thank you very much."

"Then… it appears everyone's ready," Gold stated reluctantly as he raised his hand out over the water, then pulled a small blade from his coat and finally sliced a long gash across the palm of his hand to spill several drops of his blood into the pond's waters. "Prepare yourselves and be wary. I'm warning you, do whatever you must to find Hook as quickly as you can and then return to where Charon will drop you off, should you even make it back to the dock. He will be your only way back home. In no way will it be easy."

"Thank you, Gold," the Savior whispered, then turned her head when suddenly a fog ascended towards them across the pond as the boatman Gold told them about appeared within it to take them down into the realm of the dead where Hades resided.

When an invisible walkway which somehow only Emma could sense appeared before them to lead them from land to the boat, she was the first to step down onto it and started walking towards the boatman, followed closely by David, Tink, Regina, Robin, Grumpy, Smee, and August once they all finished saying their goodbyes to their friends and loved ones as they followed after their Savior, trusting her implicitly.

 _Emma reached into her blouse she was wearing to pull out the ring Killian had given her once again and held it tightly within her hands while she made her way towards the most perilous journey she had yet to make since discovering the truth about her being the Savior, then she whispered to herself, "Hook… I will find you. I will always find you."_

Upon their descent and arrival into the Underworld…

 _In an unknown amount of time later, Emma gasped awake as though she had fallen asleep and fearfully looked around her in confusion, especially when she found herself sitting within the driver's seat of her yellow bug that was parked in a place that was oddly familiar to her, yet strangely mysterious as well._

 _Before she could cry out to anyone who might hear her to ask where she was or what was happening, Neal suddenly sat up in the back of her car like he had done on their very first meeting as he spoke gently to her saying, "Hey, Emma."_

 _"Neal?" she stuttered nervously upon becoming startled by his sudden appearance behind her, being unable to hold in the gasp which escaped her lips._

 _"Yeah," he replied as he simply smiled at her after seeing the woman he loved again long after he had ascended into the world beyond the hell awaiting the Savior and those she loved, some time ago. "It's really great to see you."_

 _Out of concern, Emma kept her eyes on him while she swiftly questioned, "Where are we? Am I dreaming?"_

 _Neal looked at her briefly until he moved the seat forward in order to get out from the back seat, then sat down again in the passenger's seat beside her as he answered, "No. If this were a dream, there'd be, like, talking doughnuts or something weird like that. Think of this as a long distance call from an old friend."_

 _"It's really you," she whispered again joyfully once he was sitting beside her and she could see into his eyes._

 _"How's our son?" the boy's father then asked._

 _The Savior looked happy, yet sad as well while she responded, "Great. He… misses his dad. He's growing up."_

 _Neal laughed and smiled at her again as he replied, "I bet."_

 _"Is this the Underworld?" Emma finally asked him fearfully, knowing she couldn't stay there, wherever she was with the man she once loved before she had truly fallen in love with Killian. "I was on my way to the Underworld."_

 _"Yeah, I know that's where you're headed," he answered her in his own concern for her and those with her. "That's kind of why I'm here. Don't go, Emma. Once you get there, it is not an easy place to get out of. I know you're trying to save Hook. But trust me on this… This won't end the way you think it will."_

She looked down sadly as tears came to her eyes like so many times before since Killian sacrificed himself to the darkness for her, and Neal reached out to take her hands to offer her what little comfort he could, then she responded, "I have to. I love him, Neal. If only you knew how much he's changed and how much he has sacrificed for me. For all of us. And Henry too."

Rumplestiltskin's son nodded in understanding and replied, "I know he has. I know of all he's done. Otherwise, you wouldn't have come all the way down here into the pits of Hell so you can save him. I knew there was more good in him than I could allow myself to see when I was still alive. Can you do me a favor? Tell Hook when you find him… Tell him I'm sorry for refusing to see it. Tell him I'm sorry for the things which happened between us all those years ago. And that I forgive him as well. I know how much I hurt him back then too."

 _The Savior nodded and smiled at him once again, then she added, "I would have come after you, too. I didn't know I could do this."_

 _"You couldn't have," Neal answered quietly. "I'm not there. I'm not in limbo."_

 _"Does that mean… that Hook is there?" she questioned him worryingly, suddenly afraid that this journey she was dragging her loved ones on might all be for nothing. "I can get him?"_

 _He nodded while he responded, "Yeah, he's there."_

 _Emma then pleaded, "Then help me. I can split my heart and give it to him. It could work."_

 _"The Underworld's for people with unfinished business, and that isn't me," he replied to her again with remorse for being unable to be of help to her like she hoped he could be. "That's why I'm not there."_

 _"Where are you?" she questioned him._

 _Neal smiled at her again as he answered, "Someplace. Someplace where I'm happy."_

 _However, his face grew somber once more, then in warning he added, "I only came here because I care about you, Emma. Stop what you're doing before it's too late."_

 _"I can't," the Savior responded to him with determination._

 _"I figured," he said again with yet another smile, then leaned in close to kiss her forehead before saying his final goodbye to her. "But I had to try."_

 _Emma breathed sharply and then reached up to take his face in her hands while she whispered, "Neal."_

 _Neal looked deep into her eyes and continued, "I love you, Emma. I always have, and I always will."_

 _"Neal?" she then called out to him after he turned and left her alone in her car, until Emma suddenly gasped awake once again, only this time within the boat being rowed down into the depths of the land of the dead by Charon, as David immediately pulled his daughter into his arms in relief when she finally awakened from the unconsciousness that had fallen over her the moment they began their descent while she continued to breathe heavily out of fear._

"Emma, are you alright?" her father asked worryingly while everyone else with them also looked down on them. "You passed out. Almost immediately after we left Storybrooke."

The Savior looked up at David as she nodded and smiled at him in hope of assuring him she really was okay, then she stated, "You won't believe it, but I saw Neal. He was here… or at least he came to me in a vision of sorts, I suppose. He's happy. He asked about Henry and I told him Henry was good. And growing up. Then he gave me a warning."

Regina looked down at her friend until she too knelt beside her as she questioned, "What kind of warning?"

"To be careful," Emma lied to them nervously, not really wanting to tell anyone the full truth out of fear they might try to convince her to turn back again, especially now that they were so close to finding Killian. "He knew what we're about to do. He wants us to watch out for the dangers that are down here. And he also really wanted to see me again so he could assure me he was alright too. This was the only way he could."

"I'm glad he's alright," Tinker Bell responded sincerely while she looked down on her friend. "Especially after how he died."

Regina turned away, then she rose back to her feet again as she looked out before them when she saw a boardwalk leading from the river to the land approaching quickly, and she spoke again with concern in her voice saying, "I suggest you all prepare yourselves. We've arrived and there will be people here who aren't going to be happy to see us. Especially not me."

The Savior stood again with her father's and Tink's help, then she turned to the former Evil Queen and replied assuredly, "I won't let anyone harm you, Regina. Not any of you. We'll protect each other. Just like we always do. You've trusted me this far. I won't let you down."


	9. Chapter 9

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Nine

When Charon guided the boat up to the boardwalk and at last brought it to a stop so the heroes could get out, it finally sank for each of them that there was truly no turning back now that they've arrived within the Underworld. Emma led them as they all began to walk inward just like she had led them in Neverland when they looked to her to be their leader then too. They walked onward without knowing what to expect or without knowing where it was they were heading, though they hoped they'd find someplace where they could ask the realm's residents how they might find the man they had come down to rescue. Much to everyone's surprise, once the fog and darkness lifted, the Underworld suddenly opened up to a town identical to that of Storybrooke.

Everyone looked around them in shock as they walked past each of the shops including Gold's pawnshop, amazed that aside from the eeriness of this version of their hometown and the sight of those standing within the streets stopping whatever they had been doing before in order to stare at the newcomers as they passed by them, everything appeared to be exactly the same.

At last, Regina curtly uttered, "Just what the hell is this place? How… Why is it designed to look like Storybrooke? It's creepy."

Emma nodded in agreement as she responded quietly, "I don't like this place any more than you. A part of me wishes Gold were here so he could explain this to us."

"Everything's here, just like it is up in our world," David replied when he thought of the similarities between this place and theirs, until an idea suddenly dawned on him, especially after everyone froze where they stood while Cruella's car was suddenly spotted ahead of them as the dog hater drove past them. "Of course she's going to be here. Look… maybe we don't know why this place looks like home, but it's possible that everything we have in Storybrooke, also has a counterpart down here too. Except for the people, of course."

"That would make perfect sense," Regina answered once they all continued walking ahead of them. "Gold's shop and the rest of the businesses are all here it seems, as is Cruella's roadster. And it looks like Granny's is here too. Perhaps we'll find someone in there who might be willing to help us find Hook. Or at least help us to know where we might be able to begin our search for him."

Emma let out a sigh of frustration when they came to the gate in front of the diner and then she responded, "It's worth a shot. We should stay together. Normally I would say we should split up, but seeing as there are people here like Cruella and several others who will want to try to kill us for sending them all here, we need to stick together if only to keep each other safe. We learned that the hard way in Neverland."

Tinker Bell shrugged, then replied, "Speaking of Neverland… Pan will no doubt be here too. He isn't going to be happy to see any of us. Let's hope we don't run into him or any of the Lost Boys who've been killed over the years. I don't mean to worry you, but Hook did kill a number of them himself, including Rufio who was Pan's number one just like Felix was until they were both killed."

"I'm hoping we can avoid a lot of the villains we might have sent down here," the Savior answered worryingly, then walked into Granny's followed closely by her father and the rest of their friends, as they turned to the bar to see who might be running the diner since it wasn't going to be Granny herself.

"Who's that?" Emma questioned upon seeing someone she didn't recognize standing behind the bar as she served a few of her patrons the meals they had asked for, especially upon recognizing the woman was blind.

Regina glared at the woman with wild hair coldly while she responded, "It just so happens, she's one of the people I happened to have killed some time ago. Actually, I kind of forced Hansel and Gretel to kill her for me, but it was my fireball that did the trick. The Blind Witch. Suffice it to say, she really doesn't like me much. But despite her blindness, she does somehow see everyone. She can help us if we can convince her to. I suggest you let me do the talking here."

Once Regina, Emma, David, and Robin stepped up to the counter while the others stayed back, the witch lifted her head and sniffed the air in front of her upon sensing them walk up to her and breathed in deeply, then she spoke up first much their surprise saying, "Well… if it isn't the Evil Queen. Hello again, Regina. This is a surprise. Especially since you don't smell like the rest of the dead down here do."

"That's because my friends and I are very much alive," the Queen smugly replied, then took a seat on one of the barstools in front of her old enemy. "How've you been doing, child muncher? Business doesn't appear to be too bad surprisingly. I'm guessing children aren't on the menu here?"

"Unfortunately, no… but I do make some good gingerbread," she answered with disappointment in her voice. "Would you and your friends care for some?"

Regina made a disgusted face at the thought of eating anything this witch might serve and then she responded, "Not a chance. Listen closely, witchy. We're here to find a friend. He would have arrived here very recently. He has dark hair, a thick accent, and has a hook for a hand."

She suddenly gasped in excitement, then uttered, "Captain Hook!"

"Do you know him?" Emma quickly asked with renewed hope upon the woman's recognition upon hearing Killian's description. "Do you know where I can find him?"

"No," the Blind Witch replied. "I mean… your description is pretty obvious as to who it is you're talking about. The hook for a hand part that is. I do know of him of course, but he's never actually stepped foot in here at all. I'm sorry."

Regina glared at her while she retorted, "Save your apologies. Who can we talk to so we can find him?"

The witch turned away from her enemy to pull out a bottle of rum from under the bar and poured a glass, then set it down in front of Emma while she said, "I believe rum is a pirate's favorite drink. And perhaps one you might have developed a liking for too? I don't doubt you could use a drink to help soothe your fear for the man you love."

"How'd… How did you know about that without being able to see anything?" the Savior asked her warily, without picking up the glass to drink even though the blind woman was right about her.

"I could hear your desperation to find him in the sound of your voice," she answered as she reached out to lay her hand down on top of Emma's, until Emma immediately pulled her hand back. "Love is really the only reason why you would sound so desperate to find Hook. Not to mention the fact that you've come all the way down into the depths of the Underworld to do so when each of you are all very much alive. I won't help Regina, on account of her having been the one who killed me."

The former Evil Queen curtly responded again, "Hansel and Gretel killed you, witch. Not me. Though to be fair, it was done on my behest. You never should have taken what didn't belong to you."

The Blind Witch turned her head towards Regina as she had spoken, but then turned back to Emma again and continued, "As I was saying… I will help you though with the little information I can give you. Only because you seem so sad. But you ought to know first that if you want to hear what I have to say, you will have to give me a favor in return."

"Of course," Leroy scoffed grumpily. "She sounds just like Gold. All villains are alike."

"What do you want?" David asked when he reached up to lay a hand down on his daughter's shoulder to keep her calm when he sensed her becoming agitated. "We didn't exactly bring much of anything with us when we came down here."

The witch smiled as she replied, "Don't worry… it won't be any of your worldly possessions. It's only a tiny favor that I'll ask you for, seeing as what information I have is little as well. But it's helpful, I assure you. If you walk into the cemetery here, which you'll find just where it is in your own world above, you can search the graves for Hook's. Everyone when they die, receive a grave down here. The important thing you'll want to know is the way the graves appear. If the Captain's headstone is upright… it means he will definitely still be down here somewhere. If it's tipped over… it means that he's moved on by now to a better place and seeing as he was a villain in life no matter what he might have been to you, sweetheart… I doubt that's the setting you'll find. And finally, if his headstone is cracked…"

August spoke up despondently saying, "If it's cracked then it means he's moved on to whatever place is worse than this one here, I'm guessing."

"Well, aren't you a clever one," the Blind Witch answered when she turned towards the man now standing beside his childhood friend and started to reach up to feel his face so she could get an idea what he looked like, until August pulled away. "Relax… I was just trying to see what you looked like. You sound very handsome."

"You can forget whatever favor you were seeking from us, child muncher," Regina said to her again crossly. "While your information is good to know for something, it doesn't help us in finding our friend."

David glanced over at the Mayor while he responded, "Actually, it might."

When he turned to Emma again, David continued, "Emma… did you happen to bring with you the magical ale we gave to you from Merida?"

"I never took it out of my jacket pocket since you gave it to me," the Savior replied in confusion as she turned to face her father. "Why?"

"The witch who gave it to Merida in DunBroch explained a little to her how it worked when she came to her coronation and Merida told us a little more before she even gave some of it to us," the Prince answered when Emma pulled the flask from her pocket inside her coat just where she said she's been keeping it. "I think we can use it down here too."

Regina then understood what he was saying as she finished for him, "If we poured a little of that ale over Hook's grave, the magic should allow for Hook's soul… or spirit… to appear before us and we can actually talk to him. We can ask him where he's being held. That's brilliant, David."

Emma smiled despite her worry over how the man she loved would appear to them and in what condition he'll be in, then began to follow her father and Regina out the door, as did the others until the Blind Witch obnoxiously cleared her throat to regain their attentions, then called out, "I believe you owe me that favor then? If you wish, you can owe me, but don't think I won't collect."

"What do you want?" the Queen question her crossly.

"How about a few apples from your tree just outside of your office window at the town hall here in this world," she responded with a smug smile. "I'm not actually able to steal one thanks to a protection spell over it which only you can break. Part of Hades' rules I guess. Seeing as I was killed by you for stealing one, Regina… it's only fair that you should have to give me at least a dozen in return. I'm thinking about baking some pies and adding them to the menu here."

Regina glared at her, then she replied, "Fine. A dozen apples it is. After we do what we have to do to try to find Hook. Next time I walk back in here, I'll bring a whole basket full."

The blind woman smiled as she answered coolly, "Much appreciated. I'll be seeing you soon. At least… well, you know what I mean. Good luck in finding that pirate of yours."

The heroes finally left the diner as they followed Emma to the cemetery, with hope that the magical ale will help them to communicate with Hook so he'll be able to help them to find him. Unfortunately, they all failed to notice Hades, who had been sitting in one of the booths closest to the back entrance, as he sat there without making himself known to anyone so he could listen in on the heroes' conversation. The God walked over to the bar and picked up the drink the Blind Witch had poured for Emma, then drank it down himself just before vanishing within his blue flames without so much as word.


	10. Chapter 10

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Ten

It didn't take long before those from Storybrooke arrived at the cemetery. When they first stepped foot on the grounds within it, everyone looked around in awe and uneasiness at the vast tombstones standing or lying tipped over before them. No one knew where to even begin to look for the stone with Killian's name engraved upon it and they realized then that it was going to take much longer to find than they hoped. What was worse, was that the red sun giving off light around them had begun to go down and it wouldn't be very long before the sky fell dark.

"All right… let do this," Emma uttered to everyone nervously, while she pulled out Killian's ring once again and held it in her hand to find her courage needed to bear seeing the man she loved in God only knew just how much pain he would be in. "This is going to take awhile and from the look of that eerie sun lighting this world, we don't have too long before it gets dark. At least I think so. As long as we stay somewhat close, we should spread out in pairs so we can search the gravestones a little faster. Holler if you find his."

David stayed with Emma, while Regina stayed with Robin, Smee stayed with Tinker Bell, and August stayed with Grumpy while they all began to look among the stones for Killian's name. A few of them recognized some of the names among the others belonging to either old friends or even enemies from their pasts as well. However, none of them had yet to belong to the pirate captain. It took another twenty minutes or so before August finally found it and Leroy immediately shouted out to Emma and the others to gather them all back together at Hook's grave.

The Savior suddenly became frozen where she stood in front of his tombstone while she stared at Killian's name for over a minute in silence, once again holding his ring tightly within the clutches of her hands. Finally, she pulled out the flask containing the Ale of Seonaidh when her father stepped up behind her as he laid his hand over the small of her back and kissed the top of her head, then asked her if she was alright. She looked over at him and nodded as a single tear slipped down her cheek until she quickly wiped it away before Killian could see her crying.

 _"I just hope he is," Emma whispered fearfully, then unstopped the flask and carefully spilled a few drops of the ale over his grave before taking a few steps back to wait for the man she loved to appear._

 _After moments of her own agony while she waited, at last Killian suddenly appeared in front of them, though the magic allowing for him to do so was tremendously weak, as he flashed in and out because the spell was barely able to contain its hold. Emma couldn't stop herself from letting out a frightened gasp in the shock upon seeing the horrifying state he was in. He was now wearing nothing more than rags, his body was severely battered, bruised, bloody, and even burnt, and both his arms and ankles were bound in chain linked shackles._

 _Emma swiftly stepped towards him again, aching to reach out to comfort him as she gently cried, "Killian. Killian, we're here to help you. We just can't find you. Where are you?"_

 _Everyone else looked on in their own fear for their friend and when the Captain couldn't answer the woman who loved him, Regina spoke worryingly saying, "Emma… the spell's not steady. He can't hear you."_

 _"Just tell us where you are," the Savior continued, refusing to look away as she struggled to help him see into her eyes without being able to reach out to touch him so that he could be assured she was really there to save him._

 _"Something's happening," Robin stated worryingly when the magic began to lose what little strength it held._

 _Regina immediately added, "It's not holding."_

 _Emma ignored them, keeping her eyes on Killian while she whispered even more desperately, "Talk to us. Talk to me."_

 _"Killian!" she then shouted out to him in horror and fell to her knees in an attempt to follow after him when Hook suddenly disappeared into the ground, the magic of the ale being unable to keep him there with them any longer._

 _"He doesn't know we came for him," the Savior finally said out of despair after staring fearfully at the ground where he had fallen for several minutes in silence. "We… He doesn't know we're here. He doesn't know that I care."_

 _David walked up behind his daughter again, then pulled her into his arms while he replied, "Yes, he does. And, Emma… we will find him."_

 _Emma struggled to look at her father as she questioned, "Will we? Did you not just see that? He's in pain. He's suffering."_

"You're right… he is," Hades responded cruelly when he appeared a few feet away with a smug grin on his face as he looked towards Emma, who quickly spun around at his sudden arrival. "Welcome to the Underworld, Emma. All of you… I suppose, though I don't recall inviting the rest of you to come along."

"We're here because our friend's in trouble and saving people is what we do," David curtly answered the God, as they recomposed themselves to be ready for a fight. "We certainly weren't going to let Emma come here to fight for Hook on her own."

Hades glared at the Prince in frustration until he smiled again when he replied, "You wouldn't really be heroes if you did. I should have expected nothing less. Although, I have to say, I am a bit surprised you all actually came. I was about seventy percent sure you wouldn't show. I really did underestimate your love for your pirate, Emma."

The Savior immediately backed away from David to face the deity again with her hands raised in defense while she angrily questioned, "What the hell have you done to him? Where is he?!"

"I know you don't actually expect me to answer you about where my new slave is being held… or at least not truthfully," he haughtily responded her. "And I know you would know if I'm lying, so I won't try to do that either. I have too much respect for you, Miss. Swan. But like I told you before on his ship, Captain Hook is suffering greatly. You saw so for yourselves just now. But you do have the power to save him right now, if you really care about him as much as you claim to. Have you thought anymore on the deal I've offered you?"

"I can't help but think about it," Emma answered sternly. "But I won't do it. I don't trust you to keep your word. However, more than that… Killian wouldn't ever be able to forgive me if I sacrificed my life for him after all he's done to ensure that I lived. It's like I told you… if you want my heart, my soul, my life… whatever… you have to take it and it's not going to be as easy as you might think. I will find him. I will save him from you. He won't ever be your slave, or anyone else's again."

Hades smiled arrogantly as he flicked his wrist to summon Killian's bloodied hook and brace into his other hand, then held it up for her to see it closely while he replied, "I look forward to seeing you try, Emma. I really do. And by the way, you should know that I intercepted your weak attempt to let your pirate know you've come down for him. That's why your magical ale didn't work very well. And what few words you might have managed to say to him… he won't remember, because I erased any memory of them and your appearance from his mind. I can't allow him to have any hope that he'll be saved."

The God suddenly tossed the hook along with its brace over to Tinker Bell while he added, "Here you are, Greenie. It's of no use to me anymore. I have other plans in mind for Hook. Good luck, heroes. I suspect I'll be seeing you again soon."

It was then that Hades suddenly vanished from among them again just as he had appeared, before Emma or anyone else could say anything more or try to strike against him. The Green Fairy stared at the valuable metal within her hands until Emma turned to her and Tink handed it over to her.

 _The Savior stared down at it with despair in her eyes, then when David wrapped his arms around her again when he could see that his daughter didn't feel as confident they would succeed in finding the man she loved as she appeared to be in front of the villain, without looking away from the hook she whispered miserably, "We're never gonna get to him."_

 _"Emma… that's not true," he responded to her. "We're gonna do whatever it takes to get him back."_

 _"What will he be like when we find him?" she asked fearfully, as Emma turned her head to be able to look up into her father's eyes so she could read his face in search of any hint of a lie or doubt despite what he told her. "What's happening to him? What's Hades doing?"_

 _Regina took Robin's hand in her own as she glanced over at him sadly, until she turned to Emma again while she answered gently, "We'll deal with that when the time comes."_

The Queen thought a moment before saying her next words, then she continued, "We will find him. And no matter what condition he's in, we'll help him through it. You can heal his wounds and then help him get through his emotional pain too. You've done it before. And Hook's strong. Always has been. Trust me… I know. I once made him do something terrible in order to prove to me he was ruthless enough to kill my mother when I asked him to. I won't say what because I made a promise to him to never speak of it again. My point is… Hook did it as much as I knew it hurt him and he only grew stronger. Not in the best way maybe, but stronger nonetheless."

"A person can only survive so much pain and Killian's heart has already broken so badly that he could no longer live with himself," Emma despondently replied when she looked over at her and her father. "Even if I do save him… how can I help him find his will to live again?"

"I don't know," David responded honestly. "I don't know, but he'll have as much support as he needs from all of us. He'll make it, Emma."

When no one spoke again, Leroy asked, "So… where do we go next in trying to find Hook?"

August spoke up as he answered, "We should head back to the diner. That Blind Witch was helpful so far. And there are plenty more people here who aren't villains we've all crossed and sent down here. We have friends down here too. Someone will be willing to help us without asking for a price in return. We just need to find them."


	11. Chapter 11

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Eleven

Back in Storybrooke…

After the heroes entered the portal into the Underworld and vanished from their quiet town once again, Belle encouraged her husband to walk with her to the hospital so that he could have his hand stitched up from having to slice it open in order to help their friends. Gold pulled out a handkerchief from his coat pocket and carefully wrapped it around the gash within his palm with the beauty's help, then he nodded in agreement as he followed after his wife despite the lateness of the hour.

When they entered the hospital wing where they knew Dr. Whale would be on duty, the man who once experimented in trying to raise the dead so he could bring back his brother who had died long ago, was sitting at the desk in his office reading over a number of his patients' files until one of the nurses working under him interrupted to inform him that his services were needed.

Gold and Belle were brought into a private room to wait for the doctor, then Whale joined them a few minutes later and immediately began to stitch up the gash while he spoke to the former Dark One quietly saying, "It's good to see you finally up and about. Your wife's been very worried about you. She must have had me come to check on you half a dozen times to make sure you remained healthy while in your coma."

The married couple smiled at one another until Whale pulled the needle he was using through a thick layer of skin, causing Gold to wince and gasp in pain for which the doctor quickly apologized, then the shopkeeper answered, "That's all right. I'm grateful for your ministrations, doctor."

"Think nothing of it," the doctor replied as he continued to treat the older man. "I have to admit, it's kind of strange having to treat you of all people. You being the Dark One… or at least until you weren't. I'm sorry. I'm just trying to distract you while I do this."

"The truth is, I didn't expect I would ever see the day again when I would be free of the power that kept me from needing this kind of ministration," Rumple responded, then began to ignore the doctor in front of him as he turned again to his wife so they could talk.

Belle quietly stated, "I'm really proud of you, Rumple. And I really appreciate you helping Emma so she could try to help Killian. I know you're not used to being the hero, but I always knew you had it in you to be. I almost gave up on you. I promised you once I never would and yet…"

Gold interrupted, "That was my fault. Not yours."

"And yet… things can't just go back to the way they were before, after all you've done to hurt everyone here by aligning yourself with Maleficent, Ursula, and Cruella," she continued as she was saying before he cut her off. "Not to mention that you nearly killed Killian yourself and allowed the Snow Queen to almost destroy this town and our friends. I do love you, but we need to take things slow. Start our relationship over even if we are married. I didn't want to tell you any of this yesterday because I was just so relieved that you were all right. But I need this. I hope you can understand."

"Of course," he answered sadly, then stood up to leave before Whale could finish closing up the final stitch and pulled his hand away, as the gash was closed well enough. "Where will you stay?"

Belle also stood up and gently pat the doctor's shoulder to say thanks for his help, then followed her husband out of the room as she replied, "I've spoken to my father."

The shopkeeper stopped and turned around to face her again, then responded, "Stay at my home I kept after the dark curse was broken. It's still empty and you will have the only key, I promise. I'll stay at my shop just as I've been doing."

"Okay," she answered sweetly, then leaned in close to kiss his cheek. "Maybe we can go out on a date tomorrow night. For burgers at Granny's? We can get to know one another over again, as two normal people without power to come between us."

"I would like that very much," Rumple replied, then offered his hand for her to take so he could escort her back to her father's.

Inside the Charmings' apartment…

Mary Margaret finished making a couple cups of cocoa with cinnamon, then walked back to her bed where Neal was lying down playing with Henry, who was reading to him from the Author's book he had received from the Witch of DunBroch. The Princess listened as he read Merlin's story, until the teenager suddenly stopped talking when he turned the page to the next story, surprised to find it was a story which must have somehow magically appeared after the events that had occurred in Camelot, as it told of how Captain Hook had destroyed the darkness once and for all.

The thirteen year old stared down at the pages until he turned to a picture of his mother weeping with Killian's body in his arms, and he suddenly slammed the book closed out of anger and stood up to turn away from his grandmother, who said despondently, "You know… it's okay to talk about it, Henry. I'm hurting too. You shouldn't blame yourself or believe that you failed to help your mother save him."

Henry turned around to face her while he responded, "But I did fail. I asked Merlin to take me to someone I thought could help me help Killian and while it worked to bring the good in him back out, it wasn't powerful enough to save his life. Not even this book could help me find any answers liked I hoped. I may have gained powers of my own, but instead I got scared and broke the quill. If I hadn't, I might have been able to help him more. And now I've lost two fathers."

"Only for a little while," Mary Margaret answered sadly. "Your mother's going to find Killian and save him, Henry. You know she won't give up. He'll be happy to hear that you consider him your father too."

"Why shouldn't I?" he whispered when he finally sat back down with her and his nephew on the bed, then carefully picked Neal up to hold him. "Killian's done a lot for me. For all of us and not just all that happened since the darkness took him over. He found me and Mom in New York and brought us home again, he taught me how to navigate the stars like he once taught my dad, and he taught me how to swordfight… also like he taught a little to Dad. If Mom can save him, I don't doubt she'll marry him someday. I hope she can succeed in saving him, Grandma."

The Princess smiled at her grandson and pulled him, as well as her son into a hug while she strongly replied, "She will, Henry. Have hope."

The teenager nodded and responded, "I have hope."


	12. Chapter 12

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Twelve

Meanwhile, aboard Captain Silver's ship within the Underworld…

Once Silver and his pirate crew returned to this realm's equivalent of the ship Killian remembered all too well being a slave aboard for over sixteen years of his very early life, the men shoved the one handed pirate captain onto the deck at their feet and left him lying there until they were given their next orders from their own Captain. Killian groaned painfully when his body roughly hit the floorboards beneath him, then let a cry escape his lips when he suddenly felt one of the crew slam his foot down heavily against his back and another kick him in his chest.

"That was for your part in the mutiny you and your brother raised against us!" his first assailant, whom Killian recognized to be Silver's first mate shouted out at him angrily, then swiftly and with even more force, he kicked the slave once again in his chest and used his leg and foot to flip the younger man over onto his back.

"Take it easy, Bellamy," Silver responded more calmly as he turned around and faced his men, then stared down at the wounded man at their feet with a smugness in his eyes. "Both of the brothers Jones will suffer greatly for what they did to us. Hades has been generous enough to give this one over to us for now. The older Jones will pay for his sins in due time."

When his men nodded their heads and grumbled amongst themselves, the Captain knelt over Killian and spoke to him again cruelly saying, "I'm guessing you never expected you would wind up down here and once again aboard the ship where your father abandoned you so long ago… did you, Jones? You've changed a little since I last saw you. You've gotten older, though you definitely don't look your age, seeing as it's been over two hundred years since then and yet you were still alive until only recently. And I see you've also lost your hand. Tell me, how did you do that?"

Killian struggled to breathe through the pain in his chest and across his back while he glared up at the man above him the best he could, but when he refused to let the slave master's taunts goad him into retorting, Silver roughly grabbed a fistful of Killian's hair in his grasp to force him to cry out again and then he suddenly shouted, "You killed us all! And I swear you're going to pay for it. So will your brother after he sees how badly you're about to suffer."

"What would you like us to do with him, Captain?" one of Silver's other men questioned anxiously when he stood again and turned to face his crew.

"We're going to remind him what it's like to be the slave he's always been," their leader answered coldly and turned to face the walls of the massive cavern surrounding them, then looked out as he walked over to the side of his ship anchored within the deep waters of the green river flowing throughout most of the Underworld in which resided all the souls that have been lost for all eternity in endless torment. "Until Hades returns, you're free to beat him however you see fit to do so. Beat him, bloody him, even burn him with scalding water or boiling oil if you wish. It's not like we have to worry about killing him anymore. Just be sure to leave the shackles on so he won't be able to fight back. Have fun."

Finally, Silver walked away without saying another word as he walked down below deck in order to leave his crew be for awhile with their prisoner. Soon they began to strike Killian over and over again with their fists and feet until they grew bored, then pulled out various instruments in which to torture him with such as lashes, clubs, and even their swords so they could continue on with making him suffer while Killian stifled his cries.

When Silver walked back up on deck, he carried with him a wooden bucket and motioned to his men to step back, then suddenly poured scalding, boiling oil over Killian's back, at last causing him to scream no matter how hard he struggled to keep these pirates from seeing the anguish he felt at their hands.

Once the oil cooled enough, Captain Silver knelt down before his slave once more and reached out to grab Hook by his throat to get him to look up into his eyes while he said again cruelly, "All of this has been because your brother sold our souls to Hades in order to protect himself and you. Both of you deserved to go down with the ship just like the rest of us. I will see to it that you will, some way or another."

 _The leader released his hold, then stood again as he hauled Killian back up to his feet and was about to speak again to his crew, until everyone became startled when what they believed was a ghost suddenly appeared in front of Killian while the beautiful woman with long blonde flowing hair fearfully called out, "_ _Killian. Killian, we're here to help you. We just can't find you. Where are you?"_

 _"Just tell us where you are," the ghost fearfully continued, refusing to look away as she struggled to help Killian see into her eyes without being able to reach out to touch him so that he could somehow be assured she had come to save him._

 _"Something's happening," Killian and the pirates surrounding him could hear another voice utter worryingly from behind the woman before them, when the magic began to lose what little strength it held._

 _A woman's voice immediately added, "It's not holding."_

 _The ghost ignored the others, keeping her eyes on Killian while she whispered even more desperately, "Talk to us. Talk to me."_

"Killian!" she then shouted out to him in horror until the magic faded, and the beautiful woman vanished again from before them the moment Hades appeared as he magically yanked his captive down against the floor of the ship, then roughly forced him back against the main mast using the chains of his shackles to bind him against it.

"What was that?" Silver asked the deity while Hades advanced on Hook, then angrily backhanded him across his face when the one handed pirate struggled to look at him through his one eye he could still see through, as his other was closed shut as a result of his beatings. "Or who was that?"

Hades pulled out a small vial from his coat pocket containing a yellow liquid as he replied, "That was the woman Jones here fell in love with from the world above and who he actually managed to get to fall in love with him too. She's come down here to my realm in a foolish attempt to save him from me, but I'm not going to let her take him back."

When the God unstopped the cork keeping the liquid inside the vial and raised it above his prisoner, he carefully poured a single drop on top of his forehead, then laid his hand against the side of his head as magic began to flow through them. Killian screamed until finally the pain vanished when Hades released him, then the Captain mercifully lost consciousness at last.

Silver and his crewmen all stared between them until Hades lifted the vial again to show its contents to the pirates as he spoke up to them again saying, "This contains the waters from the yellow river which flows throughout the Underworld from my lair, just like the River of Lost Souls. Only this river is better known as the River of Forgetfulness. Had I poured this entire vial over his head, he would have forgotten absolutely everything he's ever known. However, one drop and his simply forgets the one memory I just pulled from his mind. His worst torment is the pain he's caused all those around him and his many, many regrets. I can't have him forgetting all that. But this way, he won't ever know that the woman who loves him has come for him. Keep him here a bit longer and leave him be for awhile. I'll be back."

"Where are you going?" the Captain of the ship they stood aboard attempted to cry out to the God, until Hades suddenly vanished from before them again without another word.

"What are we going to do with Jones now, Captain?" Bellamy questioned, then slapped the slave's face in order to see how deeply unconscious he really was, which Killian didn't even stir from.

Silver glanced towards his first mate as he responded, "We're doing just as Hades told us to do. We're going to leave him be. Right where he is."

Back in Storybrooke…

Before he headed home from the pond within the park once those who left town again to enter the Underworld were gone, Archie silently slipped away from everyone else and began to walk Pongo, whom he had left with Marco to watch for him while he was in Camelot. His dog missed his master while he was gone and so Pongo stayed close by, for which the doctor felt grateful for.

It was late and Archie felt tired, but he knew sleep wouldn't come easy to him that night and perhaps for many nights after because his mind was still troubled. So, he stopped at Granny's on his way back and asked for some food and a large cup of coffee to take home with him. However, he wound up giving most of the sandwich and fries to his dog when he found he wasn't really as hungry as he thought either.

He fed Pongo the last of the bacon left behind on the plate from his sandwich and tenderly began to pet the animal, until a knock suddenly sounded at his door much to the doctor's surprise, then Archie stood to answer it. As he did, he found Marco was standing there in front of him and the younger man despite his appearance making him appear to be much older, quickly pulled off his hat, then reached out to pat his long time friend's shoulder.

Archie looked at him quizzically, and out of concern Marco said, "Forgive me for coming over so late, but I couldn't help notice how upset you were when you left the diner yesterday evening. I'm sorry for not coming over until now, but you've been quite busy since you've been back. I have known you a long time, Archie. So I know when you are deeply troubled and right now, you are. I just wanted to make sure you were alright. How are you doing, my friend?"

"Honestly… I don't know, Marco," Jiminy despondently answered, after he motioned for his friend to come in and to have a seat on his couch. "We've all been through so much and yet I don't believe I've ever felt so helpless, like I do now. At least not since I was still trapped under my parents' control so long ago."

"Because you didn't offer to join with Emma and the others to save Hook?" Geppetto asked in confusion.

The psychiatrist replied, "Yes. I mean… no. It's more than that. I failed to help him and not just while were in Camelot. Before then too. Killian may have taken the darkness into himself to save Emma and Regina from his fate, but he and Emma entrusted me with the dagger in hope doing so might keep Arthur from getting his hands on it. And yet he still did because Arthur shot me to get us to tell him where it was. And I told him. The King took control over Hook and he still fought to save my life. But what's worse, is that he knew something terrible like this was going to happen and he looked to me for guidance. I'm not so sure… I gave him the best advice I could have."

The old man shook his head as he responded, "That isn't true, Archie. You have a gift. A rare gift that allows you to always know what someone needs to hear. I am certain you gave him the best advice you could have."

"Not this time," the man of conscience answered sadly. "I told him that night everything would be alright. But here we are and everything is hardly alright. Killian lost himself to the darkness. He became the very monster he most feared and then became consumed by his guilt over all the pain he caused. However, at no fault of his own. At least not since he became the Dark One. I fulfilled his last wish for him, but it never should have come to that, Marco."

"You cannot blame yourself, or go on believing you failed him," Marco replied. "You didn't. What you did was give Hook hope when he had none. And you did as he asked of you."

Archie sighed and then continued, "He was protecting us from the darkness and from himself, but that wasn't the only reason why he's dead. Killian came to hate himself so much despite all he's done over the last few years to become the hero he really is… that he couldn't live with himself any longer. He came to see himself as a monster who needed to be put down like a wild animal. I may have only been a psychiatrist since the Evil Queen's dark curse brought us here to Storybrooke, but even in all my years as a conscience and helping so many other people when they've come to me seeking advice… Killian is the first patient I've ever lost to suicide."

Geppetto reached out to lay his hand over Archie's, then he responded, "If Emma and the others succeed in saving him from this God and bring him back home, you will have another chance. You didn't fail him and when he returns you will help to remind him why he must fight to live."

"That isn't going to be easy," the doctor answered worryingly. "He's a very closed off and he's not comfortable talking about his past, which from what little I've learned of him so far has been very painful for him. Not to mention he's lived for over two hundred years. It's going to take a long time for him to come through so many years of pain, I can only imagine he's suffered through."

"He's trusted you enough to come to you before," the younger man replied. "And to protect the dagger for as long as you were able above everyone else. He considers you a good friend. Trust in yourself, my friend. You will find your voice when the time comes for you to help him again. Of this, I have no doubt."

Archie smiled and patted his shoulder, then he stated, "I appreciate your confidence in me. And you coming over at this hour to make sure I'm alright. It's nice to have someone to talk to about my own worries for a change."

Geppetto nodded as he whispered, "It's the least I can do after all you've done for me."

At last the two men stood again so Archie could see Marco to the door, but before the woodcarver left, he turned around to face his closest friend again and pulled the psychiatrist into a firm embrace, then told him he was glad to see he'd returned home safely. Archie simply nodded and then watched Marco walk away.


	13. Chapter 13

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Thirteen

Emma and the rest of those who came with her walked inside Granny's Diner once again where they could get themselves something to eat while they discussed what to do next. When they entered, the heroes were immediately taken aback when they found Cruella sitting within one of the booths, as she smiled at them smugly and raised her glass to them before anyone could say anything. The Savior instinctively took a few steps back knowing that the villainess who hated dogs held a grudge against her for killing her, but Regina walked over to join her and took a seat across from Cruella, followed closely by Robin while the others sat down at the table beside them.

Regina smiled at her as she said coldly, "We saw you drive by in your roadster when we first arrived here. Of course you would wind up in a hellish place like this. Although, I'm a bit surprised you haven't moved on yet to the worse place. What kind of unfinished business could you possibly have?"

Cruella smiled back at the Queen, then glanced towards Emma while she arrogantly replied, "Oh… there might be the fact that I was murdered by the very woman who claims herself to be some Savior. It might be because should I attempt to move on, I would wind up in the worse place and I really, really don't want that. And then there's the fact that things here really aren't all that bad so long as I remain on Hades' good side. Being the sheriff's girlfriend isn't too bad either."

"You and your brother really are identical, aren't you, darling?" she then added when she turned her head to look at David. "At least in looks anyway. Though… I don't find do-gooders like you attractive in the least."

"You really know James?" David asked her worryingly.

The villainess smiled again as she answered, "Indeed I do, darling. And far more than just by name, if you know what I mean."

Emma finally cut in as she responded, "Everyone here knows what you mean, but we don't have time for this. Surely you know most of what's going on down here. You must know where Hades would hold the souls he collects for his own pleasure of torturing."

"Much like your doe eyed pirate, I'd wager?" Cruella replied haughtily, then snickered as she took a sip of the alcohol in her glass she held up to her lips. "I've heard rumors that Captain Hook finally gave up the ghost in a manner of speaking. I've also heard the rumors he's found himself down here as well, and that Hades has been giving him special attention. But if you think I'm going to help you find him after you yourself put me here too… you can forget it, Savior. I wouldn't help you even if I could."

"She might not be willing to help you, but I just might," another voice the heroes recognized all too well stated smugly from the door when another villain they faced off against and sent down into the Underworld entered the diner using magic to appear before them.

Regina rose from her seat and stepped out from the booth to face the boy while she uttered darkly, "Pan. After what you did to us… you're lucky you're already dead."

The demon from Neverland smiled cruelly as he answered, "That's hardly the way to talk to someone who can help you find one of my oldest enemies, Your Majesty."

"Please… we all know you wouldn't help us find Hook without some ridiculous price attached," the Queen retorted curtly, as Robin stood up with her, as did Emma, David, Tinker Bell, and Smee.

"Of course not," Peter responded, then glanced smugly between the Green Fairy and Hook's first mate until he finally turned his attention to Emma. "There will definitely be a price attached. At least my son was clever enough to con anyone he ever dealt with into giving him something for the use of his magic. But the question is, Emma… will you be willing to give me what I want in exchange for information that will lead you to finding the man you love? I can't believe Hook actually managed to win your heart after all. What is it about a one handed pirate who has a drinking problem do you find so appealing, that you would risk your life and the lives of your friends here for?"

Emma angrily replied, "Enough! Just tell us what you want and depending on what kind of information you have, I might consider a deal. But only if it leads us to finding Hook."

Pan walked over and took a seat beside Cruella while the Savior remained standing, then he finally answered, "My information won't actually lead you to Hook himself, but to someone who can help you far better than either Cruella or I can. Neither of us have been privileged to know of Hades' plans. Very few people are. This person won't know where Hook is either. In fact, he doesn't even know Hook's died and has become trapped here in the Underworld being tortured by Hades yet. He won't be quick to believe you that he has. He doesn't trust easily. He never has. Not even his own brother."

"You mean… Hook's brother?" Emma questioned with surprise in her voice. "Liam Jones is here?"

"Of course he is," the boy responded with frustration. "He's down here because he didn't trust Killian enough to believe him or me that the dreamshade he cut himself with to prove a point was indeed poison just as I told the brothers it was. And because Killian didn't heed my warning not to leave Neverland when I told him doing so would only lead to consequences. I bet those are good enough reasons for the older Jones to have unfinished business. I do wonder if Killian actually told his brother of my warning, or if he just didn't care because he was in too much of a hurry to leave the island."

He then turned to David and added smugly, "But he did warn you. Didn't he, Dave? You were lucky Neal was there to convince Rumple to give you the cure to the cure. Killian and Liam weren't so fortunate."

The Prince looked at the villain coldly as he asked, "Is Liam up here somewhere in this town? Or is he a prisoner of Hades too?"

"If you want to know that and where to find him, then I need you to help get me out of this world too," Peter Pan replied darkly when he turned back to Emma again. "I know none of you would be willing to split your hearts with me, but there are other ways to revive the dead which don't require one. Bring me with you back to Storybrooke when you leave here with Hook in tow, or you can forget my help."

"Your help's already forgotten because we won't do anything to help you leave here," the Savior answered steadfastly when she turned away from him, while the others with her stood to follow her, until Pan reached out to grab her arm as he stood up again as well.

The boy glared at her while he retorted, "If you seek him out on your own, I promise you that you'll regret it. You know what happened to the Jones brothers when they failed to listen to me. And you're going to find out for yourselves too if you don't either."

Regina helped Emma get out from Pan's grip, then responded, "We can deal with whatever you attempt to throw at us. We defeated you before. You may still have your magic down here, but so do we and we'll defeat you again."

"If you want to find Liam Jones, heroes… look for him at the Rabbit Hole down the street," the Blind Witch suddenly called out to them from behind the bar, as everyone turned back to her with surprise.

"And why should we trust you?" Robin suspiciously asked her. "You're a villain who hates us just like Pan and Cruella do."

The witch turned her head in the archer's direction while she replied, "You shouldn't trust me. But whether you do or you don't, it's true nonetheless. He is there. I don't know him on much of a personal level, but I know him well enough because I've gone to him looking to replenish my supply of alcohol countless times. The Rabbit Hole has a never ending supply because so many people try to drink their troubles away. He's my competition you see. But yet we still help each other out anyways because we have an understanding between us. Go and see for yourselves. But when you come back, Regina… don't forget the apples you promised me."

The heroes finally left without another word and once they were gone, both Pan and Cruella walked over to the bar towards the blind woman while the boy curtly asked, "Why did you help them just now?"

"Would you believe I helped them because I was curious what it was you have planned for them once they find the older Jones?" she questioned with a grin on her face.

"Maybe, but you and I both know there was more deception in that little speech you gave to them than meets the eye," Cruella answered and then raised her glass to the witch for a refill of any kind of alcohol she had on hand other than the gin she craved so much as a part of her own personal Hell Hades conjured up for her.

The Blind Witch poured her a glass of brandy and then responded, "Of course I deceived them. In more ways than one. I've never spoken to Hook's brother. But I also told them where to find him because Hades asked me to. It's a trap… for the Savior."

Cruella raised her glass again, this time in a toast to the witch as she uttered, "Cheers to you, darling. Nicely done."


	14. Chapter 14

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Fourteen

"I'm really proud of you for not losing your temper back there, Emma," David whispered to his daughter gently once they left the diner, while the others all followed after their leaders towards the Rabbit Hole where they hoped to find Killian's brother. "I know how much you wanted to let go of your anger. Especially when Pan and Cruella started mocking Hook."

"Thanks, but I'm not five years old and I don't want to talk about it," Emma curtly answered, then quickly softened her composure when she turned her head to look at him. "I'm sorry, Dad. This place has already begun to get to me. I knew it would, it's just… We haven't found Killian yet and on top of that, we don't have a way to get back home yet either. I doubt Charon will simply show back up at the dock where he dropped us off and be willing to give us a ride back to Storybrooke. And I know Hades and the rest of our enemies down here won't allow us to get that far. We have a lot of work cut out for us."

Regina walked up behind them as she spoke up saying, "Which is why splitting up in order to get things done a little faster might be a good idea after all. I don't mean alone. I can take Robin with me."

The Savior and her father turned around to face their friend as Emma responded, "It's too dangerous. We've been over this."

"I know it is, but there's something I have to do," the Queen replied sternly. "We will see what we can do about getting us a way out of here, but I need some time alone to try to make up for the worst mistake I ever made and actually being here in the Underworld will be my only chance to do it. Please understand, Emma."

"I do," Emma answered sincerely when she did understand better than Regina imagined she would, then she pulled out the flask containing the magical ale again and handed it over to her. "For your father and Daniel. Your mother too. I hope you find them, Regina. Please be careful."

The dark haired woman smiled at her and then responded, "We will. Thank you, Emma."

Finally, Regina and Robin walked off in the opposite direction, back towards the cemetery, while the others continued on to the bar, then Emma turned to look back at Smee as she asked, "So… did you know Liam?"

"Hook's brother died before I ever met him," the first mate replied when they finally arrived outside of the Rabbit Hole, then Emma froze as she turned away from everyone again.

"I was afraid you'd say that," she uttered nervously, then stared up at the sign hanging above the door. "What am I supposed to say to him? Liam's been dead for centuries and now a complete stranger is about to tell him that his brother has died too, that we need his help to find him, and that we're here to save only Killian."

Tinker Bell stepped up beside the Savior as she answered sadly, "Killian never spoke of Liam because it always hurt him too much, at least not while he was sober. But from what little he let slip… Liam was a good man and he loved Killian very much. He will understand why we've come and he'll want to do whatever it takes to help us find him."

David patted his daughter's back while he continued, "If your mother were here, she'd tell you to trust in yourself. We're all here to back you up."

Emma nodded and then finally entered the Rabbit Hole while everyone followed after her. Inside, it looked like the same bar it was in their own realm. However, down in the Underworld it was much darker, as the room was lit up only by the various candles set up all around them. There were a few patrons sitting at the tables drinking, but it was mostly empty and as far as they could tell, they didn't recognize anyone, which they were grateful for.

When they turned to the bar, two men stood behind it as they were conversing quietly amongst themselves until one of them turned away from the other to pull out a bottle of scotch so he could pour himself a drink. The handsomer of the two stepped away to enter the back room and his partner Emma guessed remained behind the counter and poured himself another drink once he gulped down the first one. However, when Emma approached him, the bartender turned his attention solely on her as he set the glass down.

"Forgive me for interrupting your drink, but I'm looking for someone we were told might be working here," she firmly stated. "Liam Jones?"

"You've found him sweetheart," he responded conceitedly, and leaned over the counter on his elbows in front of her with a smile plastered across his face. "I'm Liam. What can I do for you?"

The Savior smiled at him, then she suddenly grabbed his hand and twisted it as if she was going to snap it in half while she retorted, "You're lying. Believe me, I know and I don't appreciate it. So… who are you, and where is the real Liam Jones?"

The man glared at her as he struggled to get the woman to release him, then he replied angrily, "Okay! I'm Mordred. I work in this hellhole along with Liam, but he just walked into the back room. He should be back…"

"I'm Liam," the real older Jones said warily once he returned carrying a couple of cases of alcohol until he set them down on the bar so he could turn his full attention onto the newcomers before him. "And you are?"

"My name's Emma Swan," Emma answered once she let Mordred go and faced the man she came to see. "I'm… Listen, what I'm about to tell you might be difficult to believe and there's really not an easy way to explain it. But I promise you it's true. We're not from here. We came down here from the world above because we're trying to save our friend, who died just recently saving us all from a very powerful and dark entity. Your brother… Killian."

Liam stared at the blonde haired woman in disbelief while he allowed the glass he had grabbed to drop from his hands upon the mention of his brother's name, then his eyes darkened as he coldly responded, "You must be mistaken. And if you're not, then you must be working for Hades to get information about something from me. Mordred… I believe it's time you left. Your shift ended twenty minutes ago."

The other bartender glanced strangely between them, then replied, "You don't have to tell me twice."

"Are you one of Hades' stooges?" the brother then questioned the heroes after Mordred finally left the bar. "How do you know my brother's name?"

"Because I'm in love with him," Emma whispered sadly, while she pulled Killian's ring she still wore on its chain from beneath her blouse, then held it out to him.

The older Jones looked down at the jeweled ring as he reached out to touch it, then dreadfully asked, "My ring… Where… How did you get it? It's not possible. I gave it to Killian…"

To try to prove herself to the man before her, the Savior finished for him, "…centuries ago, a few years before you died from being poisoned by dreamshade in Neverland. You and Killian were officers in the Royal Navy on a mission from your King, until you learned the hard truth that he wasn't the King you thought he was. You were Captain and your brother was your lieutenant."

"Killian did everything he could to save you, but…" she continued until she paused a moment when tears began to fall from her eyes while she spoke of him, then she softly began to cry. "I have loved your brother, for a long time and he loves me. So much so, that he gave me this ring so that I would be protected when we were in a battle which we eventually won thanks to him. Only it cost Killian his life. We did everything we could to save him."

"You mean… Killian really is here?" Liam asked quietly when he looked up again into Emma's eyes as she pulled the ring back to let her fall again against her chest. "After all these years, my little brother has finally made his way down here at last. How did he die?"

When Emma hesitated, David spoke up for his daughter saying gently, "Like Emma told you, he died saving our lives fighting in a battle against another evil King. He protected us from the darkness. Look… we'll be happy to explain everything to you, but we really ought to go someplace that's a bit more private than here."

The older brother looked around the room and saw that none of the patrons were paying any attention to them, then he turned back to those before him as he answered, "I'm afraid I just started my shift and I'm not at all permitted to leave until someone comes in to take over for me just as I did for the bartender who just left. Hades' demands. Otherwise, I would. But we should be all right here, so long as we continue to talk quietly. Please… have a seat. Tell me about what happened to Killian."

Those from Storybrooke sat down at the bar like he asked of them and then went on to explain as much as they could about how Killian had become Captain Hook until he at last met them and came to become a hero in his own right, how he had taken the darkness into himself to save those he loved, how he was eventually forced to succumb to the darkness when Arthur had taken control of him, and finally how he killed himself in order to destroy the entity once and for all.

However, they left out the truth that his death also came about because Killian could no longer live with himself because of all the evil he'd committed throughout his long life. It was difficult enough for them to admit to themselves. No one knew how Liam would react to such news.

"My brother's struggled with darkness of some sort his entire life," Liam finally stated again once the heroes finished sharing their stories. "I've wondered why it's taken so long for him to arrive here in the Underworld, but I never imagined it was because he's lived this long seeking vengeance against the Dark One for causing him so much pain. I never knew he became a pirate so he could avenge my death. I never wanted that kind of life for him. If only I had just listened to Killian when he pleaded with me not to touch the dreamshade…"

"Killian never blamed you for his life and he certainly wouldn't want you to blame yourself for any of what happened to him," Emma responded sadly. "I was recently reminded by a close friend to both of us that your brother went through all of what he did so he could survive long enough to meet those who could redeem him and help him to find his happy ending. And he did. Despite all that's happened to him, Killian became a hero and the man who saved me too. I will always love him for that. I just couldn't tell him I loved him until he was about to sacrifice everything for me… because I was too afraid. Too afraid that everything would become real and that it meant he would know everything about me. Which he already does, yet I've barely begun to know about his horrifying past… for which I'm so sorry."

He glanced between the others, then at Emma again while he questioned, "What are you sorry for?"

The Savior looked over at her father, then down at the ring again when she lifted it away from her chest again as she replied, "For your father abandoning you… for the two of you being forced into slavery since you were both so young… and mostly for not understanding earlier the reason why Killian was who he was. But it's part of why I love him so much. Because he was able to change and became the man he is despite all of that and it shows me how incredibly brave and strong he truly is. That's why I'm here. Why we're all here. We're going to save him from Hades' wrath, but we need your help."

"If Killian was able to tell you the truth about our father and that he was a slave for so long, then you must be pretty special in your own right, Emma Swan," Liam answered her in sincerity. "I'm grateful you've come here. Not just to save my little brother so we'll both finally be able to move on together as we should have long ago, but so I'll finally be able see him again after all these years. You have no idea how much I've longed to see him again."

"I think you misunderstood what we're saying," August responded, having been the first of them to catch the error in the brother's understanding. "We're fighting against the hells of this world so we can bring Hook home with us."

Liam looked between those before him crossly and then replied, "You're right, I don't understand."

Tinker Bell also spoke as she added, "Your brother deserves to have the life which he's been yearning for… surely ever since your father abandoned you. And he found that life with Emma, until it was cut short. He was finally happy. Don't you want that for him?"

"When we save him from Hades, he'll have a chance to move on as a hero he's finally proud of," the older Jones answered curtly. "You can't take that away from him."

"It appears Emma and the rest of her clan have omitted one small detail from their tale they've spun for you," Hades retorted when he entered the bar from the doorway where he had overheard the last minutes of their conversation, startling Emma and the others, yet they all immediately stood to face him. "Your brother did die to protect those he cares about, yes. But what they failed to tell you is that he also killed himself like a coward. The once great Captain Hook hated himself so much, he couldn't live with himself any longer. So… even if you were able to save him, which I can't allow… the only place he would move on to, is in the worse place. Go on and ask them for yourself, Liam. Go ahead."

Liam turned back to Emma again, then asked, "Is it true? Despite everything you just told me… Did he kill himself like Hades said?"

Emma resolutely responded, "Killian wasn't a coward. We're going to help him past his pain and regrets like we've done before. But if he stays, he won't be able to do that."

"Shame he's trapped here," Hades replied cruelly, then snapped his fingers, when each of the patrons around them rose from their tables and quickly surrounded the heroes as August and Emma were suddenly grabbed and held against those of Silver's crew at knifepoint, including Silver himself. "Sorry for the ambush. But this chat's gotten dull. It's like I told you, Emma. This is my realm and no one comes down here from your world to steal what rightfully belongs to me unless you're willing to make the deal we discussed. Luckily for you, I am willing to give you one more chance to accept it. But first… I think you need a little more motivation."

"Emma!" David fearfully cried out when the pirates all vanished again with only Emma in their grasp.


	15. Chapter 15

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Fifteen

Regina and Robin walked hand in hand among the gravestones within the cemetery once again as they searched for her father's tombstone, as well as for Daniel's too. The archer found Regina's former lover's first and they were grateful to see that the stone was tipped over indicating Daniel had moved on from the Underworld where he was peace like she hoped he had after she last saw him, barely alive in Storybrooke no thanks to Dr. Whale. Daniel had told her to love again just before she was forced to kill him to save him, but she never knew if he was truly alright and the Queen realized he was now that she had fulfilled his last wish for her by falling in love with Robin Hood.

She knelt down over his gravestone and nervously reached out her hand as she slowly traced her fingers over Daniel's name. Robin remained silent while she did so, then laid his hand down on top of her shoulder to offer her what little comfort he could when Regina quietly began to cry.

She reached up to lay her own hand over his and finally looked up at her new love as she smiled at him. However, as Regina was about to stand again with the archer's help, they were both startled when Cora suddenly appeared before them and gently whispered her daughter's name.

Regina immediately rose to her feet and pulled Robin behind her on instinct when her thoughts fell back to the night Cora had murdered Daniel, then she uttered, "Mother. I can't believe it. I wondered if you would be here. Please… tell me you just came here to see me to make sure I'm okay. You won't hurt Robin too. Not like you did to Daniel."

Cora glanced over at her daughter's new love with coldness in her eyes, but she shook her head and turned back to Regina while she responded, "No, darling. I didn't come here for a reason other than to simply talk with you. I heard you had come. I didn't want to believe it at first, especially when I heard you were here to help the others with you to find and save Hook of all people. I never thought you would risk your life for him like this."

"I'm here because Hook is my friend as much as everyone else and because he gave his life to save mine," the younger woman replied in relief as she stepped closer to her mother until Cora finally pulled Regina into her arms to embrace her. "I hoped you were okay. I was so afraid you wouldn't be at peace after how you died."

"You mean by Snow's hands?" Cora retorted curtly when she released her. "Just like Daniel."

However, Regina quickly answered, "Mother, you killed Daniel. Not because Snow told my secret, but because you couldn't allow me to run off to find my own happiness unless it was decided by you. And as for your death… yes, Snow killed you, but I've forgiven her and now we've become friends. The best of friends. All of us have and it's thanks to them I was able to find Robin. I'm happier than I've ever been and while I miss you, and Daniel, and father… I'm happy with my life as it is, mother. Can't you understand that? Can you please, just be happy for me?"

 _She nodded as she responded, "I can. I know you're happy, darling._ _But I do have unfinished business. And that would be you."_

 _"You don't have to worry about me," her daughter replied sincerely as she smiled at Cora again under the belief that she was truly happy for her like she hoped._

 _"I'll always worry about you," Cora answered. "I want you to be happy."_

 _Regina turned her head to look at Robin when he moved around her to stand at his love's side and took her hand in his own, then she looked back at the older woman again while she responded, "Then help me find Hook and get out of here."_

 _The Queen's mother kept her eyes solely on her daughter as she harshly replied, "It's too dangerous. You need to leave… now."_

 _"I promised my friends I would help," the dark haired woman answered in frustration._

 _"Your friends…" Cora stated, reaching out to run her fingers through the strands of Regina's hair. "Your family… They're what's holding you back. Sweetheart, you must do what's best for you."_

 _Regina looked at her in confusion as she responded, "I am."_

 _The older woman shook her head as she crossly replied, "No, you're not. And if you won't, I'll see to it that you do. It wasn't easy, but I've arranged for a boat to take you home. It departs in one hour. Take your thief, and go before it's too late."_

 _"Mother…" the Mayor of Storybrooke uttered. "I can't."_

 _"You must," Cora continued firmly. "I know it's hard to… to put aside all suspicion after how I raised you, but, Regina… do you remember the last thing I said to you before I died?"_

 _Regina nodded and answered, "That I would have been enough."_

 _Cora responded, "You would have been. It just took me too long to realize it. Don't make the same mistake. Go."_

 _"What would happen if I stayed?" the Queen asked her worryingly._

 _"Sometimes a mother has to do what's best for her child, even if it's reprehensible," the older woman replied darkly._

 _Regina glared at her mother as she questioned, "Are you threatening me?"_

 _Cora shook her head again while she answered, "Oh, no. No, of course not. I never. But there's something I have to show you."_

 _All of a sudden, she raised her hand as she used her magic to poof herself, Regina and Robin, as well as an old adversary of Regina's known by the name of Blacktooth to a fiery cave where sometimes those who were the worst of the worst ended up before they moved on to the worse place by Hades' will. Regina, Robin, and Cora stood safely away from the edge, but Blacktooth was standing on a small rock ledge just above the flames, as he struggled to keep his balance while he turned around to face them with fear in his eyes._

 _"Mother… where are we?" Regina asked her worryingly. "What are you doing?"_

 _"Showing you your fate if you don't return to Storybrooke," the villainess responded coldly while she raised her hand again, and straight away, flames then began to surround Blacktooth, who began to scream in anguish until she swiftly used her magic to throw Blacktooth off the edge of the cliff, still engulfed by flames as he fell, before landing in the fiery pit below._

 _Regina stared at her in horrendous disbelief as she stuttered, "You… you killed him."_

 _"Killed' is, um, a relative term down here," Cora replied when she turned around to face her daughter and Robin again. "This Underworld… most can only leave it in two ways… to a better place or a worse one. But you, my sweet daughter, have another option. However, not for long. Go home, or there will be a cost. Someone will suffer."_

 _"Who?" Regina asked darkly when Robin came up behind her and laid his hand over the small of her back._

 _The Queen's mother answered cruelly, "Your father."_

It was then that the archer spoke up angrily saying, "You can't really be serious about threatening Regina's father… your husband, just to convince your daughter to leave here without us accomplishing what we've come here for? How could you?"

"I'm only looking out for her like you should be doing," Cora retorted crossly when she turned her head to face him and glared at him as she did so, before she looked again between them. "Don't be foolish. Hook is dead. Your friend… is dead. It's time you and Emma Swan accepts that and do as I say, or you will all regret it. Both of you. Even more so than you regret what you did to your father, Regina. You better be on that boat. Please…"

"You can't do this," Regina angrily cried, until the other woman suddenly vanished before her daughter could object again. "Mother? Mother! Come back!"


	16. Chapter 16

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Sixteen

Back in the Rabbit Hole…

"Were you a part of this?" David suddenly asked Liam angrily when he then turned to face the older Jones after the patrons vanished with his daughter. "Did you agree to help Hades kidnap my daughter?"

"Your daughter?" Liam replied curtly. "No! No, I had no idea you were coming here and even if I did, do you really believe I would be a part of kidnapping someone who's fighting to save my own brother? I didn't even know Killian was here somewhere in the Underworld."

Leroy glared at the brother as he retorted, "Maybe not, but you were the one who told us we needed to stay here so we could talk to you. Because you just started your shift, you said."

The older man looked down at him while he responded, "It's the truth… all right?"

"Did you know who they were, or why they'd agree to do Hades' grunt work?" David asked him again, as he rubbed his hand over his face in frustration.

"Does that really matter right now?" Liam questioned in confusion.

Tinker Bell glared at him while she uttered crossly, "Just answer his question."

Liam sighed and then he answered, "I do know who those men were. They come here to the Rabbit Hole for drinks often. Or mostly to aggravate me. The man who took Emma by knifepoint… that was Captain Silver, and the others his crew. Silver must be the one Hades enlisted to keep an eye on Killian for him. So they can torture him."

"Is there a reason why they would want to do that?" August asked again. "Were they members of one of your crews from when you and Hook were in the Royal Navy?"

"Silver was the pirate captain whom our father sold us to when Killian was only ten years old," the older Jones answered darkly, looking between August and David until he finally just lowered his head shamefully. "Him doing so was hard enough on me, but it was far worse for Killian. You have no idea what it did to him. If he is with them now… on top of having lost his will to live like Hades claimed, then…"

When Liam cut himself off, David spoke apologetically saying, "I'm sorry, Liam. We are going to find him. But right now, we need to find Emma. If anyone's going to be able to save your brother, it's her. Just like she's done before. Do you know where Hades would have taken her?"

The brother looked at him as he replied, "He would have likely taken her to his lair somewhere deep down in this hellhole. But I've never been there. I wouldn't even know where to begin looking."

"Then we need to find Regina," Tink responded. "She'll be able to cast a locator's spell to help us find Emma. Maybe."

"It's the best option we have," David said quietly, then turned back to Liam again. "We'll be back once we find her. In the meantime, try to think about where Silver might have taken Hook."

Liam nodded as he answered, "I will. Good luck."

Meanwhile…

Once Hades, the pirates, and their prisoner reappeared, Emma struggled within the grasp of the man who grabbed her, until Hades raised his hand to indicate for him to release her, then the deity stated, "Just relax, Miss. Swan. You're not a prisoner like your boyfriend. I only wanted to have a moment alone with you so we can talk without any interference from your group of do gooders up there. You're in no danger at the moment. You have my word."

"You'll forgive me for not trusting your word, whether or not my superpower is telling me you're lying," the Savior coolly replied. "It's let me down before. And so long as we're all down here, we are in danger."

"Fair enough," Hades responded. "But that's on you. You never should have been foolish enough to think you could come down here without accepting my deal to save Hook without there being consequences. You put yourself and your loved ones in danger. Not me. But enough about that for now. Welcome to my lair. Emma Swan… I'd like you to meet Captain Silver. The others are a few members of his crew."

The Captain backed away and stepped around to stand before her with a smug smile on his face while the God continued, "The rest of his crew are currently looking after your pirate for me. You ought to know… Silver here was once Hook's master back when he was nothing more than a worthless slave. And now, he's nothing more than a slave again. As he should have been until the day he died, which also should have been two hundred years ago. He survived a little longer thanks to a deal struck between me and his brother… But that's not your business. I don't take kindly to those who cheat death and Hook did so for centuries. It's one of the reasons why I've paid special attention to him all his life and since he's arrived."

Emma looked coldly between Hades and Silver, until she suddenly raised her hand and struck the Captain hard across his face leaving behind a deep gash along his cheekbone, then the pirate swiftly reached out to grab her hand and turned it over to find she had been concealing a silver ring with a red stone embedded in its center.

He smiled at her while he spoke up saying, "I recognize this ring. I was only a few feet away when the older Jones gave it to his whelp of a brother. The very night Liam Jones made a deal with Hades for fame and glory, in exchange for mine and my men's souls."

"Killian is a far better man than you could ever hope to be," the Savior retorted angrily when two of Silver's men grabbed her and held her back again when the Captain took the ring away from her. "Give it back!"

"Don't worry, it holds no value to me," Silver answered while he stared down at the jewelry in his hand. "But I do know someone here it might hold some value to."

Emma waved her hand the best she should despite the men's grips and swiftly magicked the ring from Silver's hands back into her own again, then she transported it once more to someplace else where it would be safe while she replied, "The only value it holds is to me and Killian. It's not for sale. How could you agree to buy two boys from a desperate man seeking to escape punishment from the law, and then force them to become slaves for you?!"

The Captain smiled at her again coldly as he responded, "It was easy. Jones was more trouble than he was ever worth, but he provided amusement for me and men over the years. And a way to take our anger and frustrations out on."

"As much fun as this confrontation has been, it's time we get down to the reason why I brought you down here to talk, Emma," Hades finally cut in before Emma could say anymore in retaliation, then magicked a crystal ball into his hands and held it out for the Savior so she could see the images he conjured up. "I told you I figured you needed a little more motivation. Look closely, Miss. Swan."

"Killian…" she uttered fearfully upon seeing the man she loved within the crystal, as another group of pirates were dragging the man she loved between them until they came upon a large platform risen high above a green river, then suddenly begin to beat him once again with their fists and feet after they allowed him to fall against the platform. "Tell them to stop. Haven't you hurt him enough?!"

The God sneered cruelly, "His pain's only just begun, Emma. You see that river below the platform your pirate's lying on? It's known as the River of Lost Souls. One single drop, or a single touch… and he will become lost as it reduces him to a mindless, tormented husk."

Finally, the men relented in their beatings, then Emma watched in horror as they wrapped a heavy rusted old chain around her love's arms and chest and hoisted Killian up high above the river while Hades said, "You only have a few short hours before that chain your precious pirate is bound in now, lowers him into that that river. Unless you agree to give me your heart of your own free will, Miss. Swan... his fate will be that much worse than it's already become."

"I told you, I won't do it," the Savior answered firmly when she turned away from the ball and glared darkly at the deity. "I love Killian too much to hurt him in a way that would be worse than anything you've done to him. Believe me, I've made that mistake once and I almost lost my power for good because I was willing to give it up to save him. While he was grateful, he was angry at me too for sacrificing a part of myself just for him. I won't make that mistake again."

Hades glared darkly at the Savior when his patience had grown thin. All of a sudden, he thrust his hand into her chest and attempted to rip out Emma's heart just as Cora had tried to do once before. Emma gasped as the deity struggled against her, until he finally released her and pulled his hand back out upon failing to do so.

"You're not the first villain who's tried stealing my heart so they can crush it," she stated coldly. "Cora failed too. That's the power of true love, which I received from my parents… the very power that's only grown even stronger because of the love I hold for Killian and that he holds for me."

"You're right," the God replied in frustration. "But I can torture your boyfriend for all eternity. Can you really bear that for the rest of your life? Knowing he'll be suffering every moment of every day because of you? Do you really think that simply splitting your heart in half to give to him like your mother did for your father will work? You may have figured out that you couldn't do it while up in your realm because his soul was no longer attached to his body, but down here, you still won't succeed in reviving him either. I've placed a spell over his soul which prevents any of you from using your magic to revive him down here too. The only way to do that… is if you can manage to escape the Underworld with him. I promise you, I won't allow that to happen."

Emma looked into his eyes while she responded, "You never would have allowed me to save Killian. You just need my heart for… well for something. Maybe it's to escape from your own hell, or for some other twisted reason. I don't really care. That's why you offered me a deal to come down here believing that I would be foolish enough to agree without much hesitation because I'm so desperate to save Killian. You didn't count on me actually coming down here to save him without your help. But I'm here now and I will save him. If we're through here…"

Hades flicked his wrist as he summoned what appeared to be the part of a newspaper and handed it over to Emma, then pointed to the advertisement showing a house for sale now circled in red with Killian's handwriting over it as he spoke again saying, "I found this on his person when Hook first arrived down here. It appears he hoped to ask you to move in with him before he died. Before his entire life went up in smoke. It's a real pity he never got the chance. I thought you might like to know. It looks like a beautiful house. You can keep that if you'd like. You can even take a look at it while you're down here. It's newly furnished and waiting for you when you die, just like your parent's charming little loft is waiting for them, Granny's is waiting for Granny and Little Red Riding Hood, that big white mansion right up on Mifflin Street is waiting for the former Evil Queen and her archer, etc.… I'll send you back now."

Silver then suddenly attempted to stab Killian's girlfriend when he pulled a knife from inside his coat, but the Savior immediately used her power to blast him and the other pirates with him back across the lair, then propelled one of the broken statues nearby at the Captain's head to knock hurt him. Before she could strike out against the pirates again, or at him, Hades finally waved his hand and made her vanish to return her back to the rest of the heroes she came down with.

"What was that all about?" Hades questioned the pirate crossly. "I gave you the opportunity to torture your slave, yet it wasn't enough for you?"

"I've had enough of just torturing Jones," the pirate leader answered angrily. "I'm growing tired of waiting to see him and the older one truly suffer for sending us down here. I want them to pay!"

The God nodded as though he understood the Captain's frustration, but then swiftly snapped his fingers and suddenly Silver found himself in rags and shackles as Killian was, while Hades motioned to a couple of his minions who were also summoned to him as he said, "I can understand your frustrations, Silver. I really can. However, the Savior can't be beaten like that. I have to break her first. And Killian Jones is still the best way to do that. Then she'll die. But by my hands. Not yours. Until you earn back my trust, you're going to be my slave just as the brothers Jones were to you. My men will take you to one of my many dungeons here. Feel free to try to Captain the other prisoners being held there instead of your own men for awhile. They work for me now."

Captain Silver was grabbed by his arms and started to get dragged away by the God's minions while he shouted out, "You can't do this! You owe me my revenge! Hades? Hades!"


	17. Chapter 17

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Seventeen

At last, Regina and Robin found her father's gravestone within a matter of minutes once they quickly returned to the cemetery after Cora had left them alone on the rock cliff's edge within the fiery pit. Knowing they were now under a heavier time crunch, the former Evil Queen pulled out the flask Emma gave her and unfastened the top. However, she froze as she was about to pour a few drops over Henry Sr.'s grave and Robin gently laid his hand over her shoulder to offer her the courage she needed to continue.

Regina looked over at the man she loved when the archer moved around to stand beside her and a tear slipped down her cheek while she fearfully whispered, "I don't… I don't think I can do this, Robin. He's here because of me. Because I killed him to cast a curse and it was all for nothing."

Robin took her hand in his own and then answered, "Your father loved you, Regina. You said so yourself. You also told me he always forgave you for everything you did once you became that woman you used to be. He'll forgive you now too. You'll see. If you don't do this now, you'll come to regret it. Just remember… I'm here with you. You can do this."

"Thank you," she sincerely replied when she raised her head and looked into his eyes again. "I'm really grateful you're here with me."

"I'm glad I'm here too," he responded assuredly. "For both you and for Killian."

 _Finally, Regina poured a few drops of the ale over her father's grave and after a few moments, Henry appeared before his daughter as she stared down at the ground in front of her while she struggled to keep herself from crying uncontrollably in shame of her actions so many years ago._

 _He looked at her sadly, though with a smile on his face while he stated softly, "Regina."_

 _Upon hearing his voice again, she couldn't hold in her sobs any longer and still unable to look at him, she uttered shakily, "Daddy. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."_

 _"It's okay, dear," he answered gently when he immediately stepped forward and placed his hands on her shoulders, before he pulled his daughter into a hug as he embraced her tightly to comfort her like he always did while she was growing up. "It's okay. It's okay. It's okay."_

 _"Is it?" she questioned while she continued to hold him like she was afraid he was going to disappear at any second. "Am I really forgiven?"_

 _Henry ran his fingers through her long dark hair as he genuinely replied, "Of course. I love you no matter what. That's what fathers do."_

 _The Queen pulled back then as she finally looked into his eyes and responded, "I'm not sure they do. I think you're very special. I don't understand how you can be so good."_

 _"Oh, I'm not perfect," her father answered, then smiled at her again and tenderly wiped her tears away. "I have many regrets. I don't even know which one is keeping me in this place."_

 _"Well, it doesn't matter," Regina replied to him strongly. "Your suffering will not get any worse. I'm going to see to it."_

 _Henry Sr. shook his head in concern for his daughter while he strictly and proudly responded, "No, Regina. That's what I came to tell you. Your mother is using me to get you to leave. But I want you to stay. You've got a job to do… helping Snow White, your friends. They need you. They need your strength. You finally put vengeance aside to be a hero. I'm not gonna stand in the way of that."_

 _She stared at him with fear as she retorted, "But Mother's going to send you someplace worse. I… I… I can't cause you pain again. Mother made her decision. We both know we can't change her mind. But she's given you a way out. Both of us."_

 _"When you tore my heart out, it was driven by the worst motives," he answered her. "But if you stay, you spread hope. That's the best thing anyone can do. Let your old man see you doing the right thing. Then I truly will not have died in vain."_

Henry Sr. smiled at her once more, but before Regina could say anymore to him, her father suddenly disappeared in a cloud of smoke. She tried calling out to him, but he didn't answer back, so Robin took her hand again and wrapped his arm around her until she pulled him into her arms as well.

"There was so much more I wanted to say to him," Regina whispered again as they tightly held onto each other. "I hoped to introduce him to you and to tell him about his grandson and namesake. Robin… I know I can't give into my mother's threats this time, but I also can't bear it if my father's going to suffer at all like Hook is suffering right now. What am I going to do?"

The archer pulled back from her so he could look into her eyes again, then replied, "We work together to fulfill your father's wish for you. You have regretted more than just killing him for over thirty years, Regina. You've regretted being unable to let go of your hate for Mary Margaret as he hoped you would before his death so he could have died proud of the beautiful woman you always were. He's proud of you now and he always will be, but don't you realize how much it will hurt him if Hook and the rest of our friends suffer because we weren't still here to help them to succeed? We will do whatever we can to protect your father too. Stay here. Don't allow your mother to win over you again."

The Queen smiled at the man she loved and leaned in to kiss him, then she lovingly responded, "Like I said before, I'm so grateful you were willing to come down here with me. I definitely wouldn't have been able to do any of this without you."

"Yes, you would have," Robin reassured her. "You've always been stronger than you've ever known."

"You're right," she then finally spoke with confidence in herself. "I am."


	18. Chapter 18

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Eighteen

Regina raised her hand to her lips and kissed it, then reached out to touch her father's tombstone to send her kiss off to him before she and the man she loved turned to walk away. The Queen and the archer were leaving the cemetery to return to the Rabbit Hole where they expected they would find the rest of their friends, until they were unexpectedly surprised when everyone except for Emma showed up before them instead, looking pretty upset and worried.

"David… what's wrong?" Regina questioned in concern when the Prince rushed on ahead of the others. "Where's Emma?"

"Hades took her," he responded worryingly. "With help from a few other pirates from Hook's past. Hades offered Emma his deal again, but she still refused him. He said he was going to give her stronger motivation that will force her into saying yes. We have to find her before she can."

Robin then glanced behind his friends while he pointed behind the others becoming surprised when the Savior suddenly appeared within a cloud of smoke, clearly disordered by her sudden appearance herself as she looked around her in confusion, and he uttered, "That's not going to be necessary. She's right here and okay by the looks of it."

David immediately turned to look back towards where his friend was pointing to and saw his daughter behind him, then he rushed over to embrace her happily while he cried out her name with relief, "Emma! Thank God, you're alright. Are you? Are you really alright?"

"Yeah… I'm fine," the Savior answered sadly, though she was shaken by the confrontation more than she wanted to admit, to anyone or to herself. "But Killian isn't. Hades showed me what was being done to him in his crystal ball. It's worse than I already feared. We only have a couple of hours to get to him. If we can't in time…"

"What's going to happen to him?" Smee asked her with worry for his Captain when Emma cut herself off.

Emma turned to the first mate as she curtly replied, "Did you ever get around to watching the Disney movie, Hercules?"

Smee shook his head in confusion, then responded, "I'm afraid I only watched a few movies with Henry and I don't think Disney movies were ever among them. Although… I don't actually know what Disney movies are."

"I've seen it," David stated in frustration while the others all turned to look at him with surprise. "Mary Margaret and I watched it and a number of them with Henry when he was doing research on as many fairytale characters from our stories as he could learn about shortly after the first curse was broken. My point is… I know exactly what you're afraid of, Emma."

"I've seen a few too," Regina answered worryingly. "With Henry. Including that one. Let me guess… there's a green river like the one in the movie with a bunch of frail, mindless souls floating around somewhere within the depths of this Hell. Isn't there?"

Emma nodded as fear showed in her eyes, then she replied, "And Killian's really going to become one of them it if we can't find him beforehand. Where's Liam?"

Tinker Bell spoke up quietly saying, "He's back at the bar. He can't leave until his shift is over. Hades' rules apparently."

"Then we need to head back there to talk with him again," the Savior responded. "We can't wait for him to leave, but he may know a way to distract Hades long enough so we can save Killian without his interference."

"That is if he's still willing to help us," August said in frustration, then turned his head to face Emma when she glanced over at him crossly. "You heard him, Emma. He doesn't think it's right that we're trying to save him so he can come back with us. He wants Hook to move on with him."

Regina scoffed, then uttered cynically, "He sounds like a great guy. Either way, he surely wouldn't want his brother to keep suffering at Hades' hands either. He'll help us save him, and then we can decide the rest later once Hook is safe. Was there anything else?"

Emma reached into her left side jacket pocket and pulled out Killian's hook that was no longer still attached to its brace which was now in David's possession, while she once again used her magic to activate a spell she cast, then answered, "Thankfully one good thing came out of me getting taken. I also met that bastard who made Killian his slave for so many years. Captain Silver. And he gave me an idea on how we can find him. Killian… I mean. The pirate tried to steal Killian's ring, but I stole it back from him and cast a locator spell over it, just as I've just done with his hook, then I magicked his ring back to him. I just needed to see Killian in my mind and it was enough. His hook should now lead us right to him. The real trouble's going to be how we're going to get him out without Hades knowing about it. Like I said, we'll need a distraction to lure him away and to keep him busy long enough to free Killian."

"That was a brilliant plan, Emma," Tink replied, impressed by her plan to cast a locator spell over her friend's hook and ring to help them to find him.

"And I think I just might have an idea for the kind of distraction we need so we can save him," Liam responded quietly when he came walking towards them after overhearing the last bit of their conversation, as everyone turned to face him in surprise that he was able to join them.

Grumpy glared at him while he stated, "I thought you were stuck behind the bar? How did you…?"

The older Jones interrupted, "I tested Hades' power over this world that was keeping me inside of there because I need to be a part of helping my brother. Strangely enough, I discovered the magic was no longer in place after you all walked out. I think all of you being here is definitely changing things, and for the better. Hades' power appears to be weakening a little at a time. At the very least… you all are good luck."

"What's this plan of yours?" Emma asked him skeptically when she turned her head to look at him again.

"How about we find that place where we can talk a bit more privately and hopefully without Hades or any pirates around to interfere?" Liam answered quietly when he looked at the Savior again.

Is there any place around here Hades can't go, or is all of 'Underbrooke' completely under his complete control?" Regina questioned. "You know what… don't answer that. It's a stupid question."

The Savior smiled at her friend and then she replied, "Actually, I think there are places around here where we can go without him or his thugs interfering in our planning. While I was being held, I happened to notice something else too. Silver attempted to attack me and I quickly deflected him using my magic to knock him down, as well as his other crewmen. And when I did so, Hades took a few steps back. Like he was almost afraid of my power, or at least he might not be able to stand it like Zelena couldn't… my magic being the reason why she couldn't defeat me unless she removed it. If we cast a protection spell conjured by both yours and my light magic combined, Regina…"

"Then it might be powerful enough to keep Hades out from wherever we decide to hold up for good once we find and rescue Hook," the Queen finished for her, then smiled. "Like Tinker Bell said, that's pretty brilliant, Emma."

"I couldn't agree more," David said proudly in agreement. "Nice work."


	19. Chapter 19

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Nineteen

Liam walked among the heroes as they made their way back into town towards the Charmings' loft and after they had left the cemetery, Regina slowed her steps so she could walk beside Emma, then spoke up quietly saying, "I need to talk to you about something."

The Savior looked over at her as she replied, "Of course. Is everything okay? Were you able to talk with Daniel and your father?"

"Daniel has already moved on from here and he's happy," the Queen answered, then glanced over at Robin before focusing again on her friend and the road before her. "But I did speak with my father and while he's still trapped here, for the moment he's alright. However, I also saw my mother. She came to me and Robin at my father's grave and she threatened him if I didn't leave here. She's sending a boat for me and the rest of us if we wanted in about forty-five minutes now, only I know there's no way we'll find Hook in time to make it."

"Then you should go," Emma responded in sincerity when she stopped and turned to face Regina. "Take Robin and anyone else who should return to those waiting for them to come home back in Storybrooke. I know Dad won't go, and I doubt Tinker Bell or Smee will want to go back either. But you should take August and Leroy with you. They have loved ones waiting for them just like we do. You can assure Henry and Mom that we're okay and still doing all we can to find Hook."

Regina shook her head and then replied, "I wish I could take them, but Robin and I aren't leaving. My father wants me to stay. He's proud of me for fighting with you to help a friend who needs our help. I can't let him down again. I just wanted to talk to you because Robin and I have to leave again for a bit to try to save my father from my mother's wrath. I won't let him suffer like Hook is. I can't."

Emma suddenly pulled Regina into a hug while she whispered to her, "Of course I understand. Go do whatever you have to do to protect him. Come and find us again when you've saved him."

"We will," the Queen answered assuredly, then she and Robin separated from their friends once again so they could search for her parents.

"I think here's where I should separate from you as well so I can go and talk with a few people who can give us the distraction we need to help Killian," Liam said after they were gone while he turned around to face Emma, David, and the others. "There's a small rebellion who have banded together to fight against Hades' and any of those who are on his side going throughout the Underworld to do whatever's asked of them. I believe I can convince them to help me. I know where you're headed now. I will meet you there after I've spoken to…"

David interrupted, "Wait… I believe we were going to discuss this at the loft so we can make plans together. You shouldn't be going off on your own."

Emma turned to Killian's brother as she asked him, "These rebels… Do you really believe they can be trusted to do what we would need them to do?"

"I wouldn't have suggested it if I felt otherwise," the older Jones responded firmly. "If I thought they could jeopardize our efforts to save Killian, I wouldn't trust them even in the slightest. But I know a few of them. I'm friends with a few of them. And I do trust them… at least enough for this."

"All right…" the Savior stated hesitantly as she looked at Liam sternly as though she was trying to read him enough to know whether or not she could really trust him, despite him being Killian's brother. "But you're not going alone. I do trust that you will do anything to save Killian. However, you don't trust that I have his best interest at heart. You've made that pretty clear. You're wrong. I may be selfish for not being able to let him go, but if I am, then it's only because I love him so much. The only way to save him is to bring him back home with us so we can help him past his pain and regrets. If he stays here with you, he'll only continue to suffer and if you try to make him move on from the Underworld… Killian will only wind up in the worse place because he sees himself as a villain even though he isn't. Not to mention that Hades will make it so."

Liam looked into her eyes, then between the others and replied, "Fine. So who will be coming with me then?"

August stepped forward as he answered, "I will. Emma's my closest friend, which makes your brother my friend as well. Only… he's earned my friendship for a lot more than by just being her boyfriend. I hope for the chance to get to know him more than I do now."

"I'm coming too," Leroy uttered crossly.

"So am I," Tink added too, then transformed back into her fairy form as she swiftly became tiny and her wings spread out so she could fly. "In case any of you get into trouble, it will be a good idea if you have a little magic on your side. And being a fairy, I can remain hidden unless I'm needed should these rebels attack you."

The brother looked to Emma who nodded at him sternly, then he responded, "If you insist. Let's get going."

A short time later…

Liam, August, and Grumpy had begun to walk through the woods which surrounded Underbrooke, as Regina had begun to call this world's equivalent to their own town, in search of the rebellion's camp and finally the dwarf broke the silence that had fallen over them while he spoke quietly saying, "So… you're friends with some of these rebels?"

"I suppose we're more acquaintances than friends," the older Jones replied to him somberly. "No one ever really makes friends down here. Mind if I ask you guys a question? Why exactly did you insist on coming with me?"

"We're here to make sure you're not gonna do anything other than what you said you're doing," Leroy answered in frustration. "And you better not leading us into another trap either."

Liam glanced at him while he responded, "It's like I told you… I didn't know what was going to happen down at the Rabbit Hole. Emma believes me."

August nodded and replied, "Maybe so, but Emma hasn't always been the best judge of character. Despite her superpower, she's made mistakes. I know you care about your brother and that you would never willingly do anything to hurt him, but you've also been down here in the Underworld for as long as Hook's been a pirate. This world surely has a way of changing a person, and we're not willing to take any chances we could be wrong about you. Surely you can understand that."

"I do understand," the older man answered. "Really… I do. But you might not want to say so in front those we're about to meet in a minute. I mean… you should try not to sound so distrusting of everyone you meet down here. We've arrived among their camp."

"You have got to be kidding me," another woman's voice sounded before them as August, Leroy, and Liam entered the camp while Tinker Bell immediately hid herself again within August's jacket pocket so she wouldn't be seen, and it was then that they saw Tamara cautiously approach them, as well as Greg Mendell, both of whom had been killed upon their arrival in Neverland after kidnapping Henry. "August Booth and… I'm sorry, but which dwarf are you? Stumpy?"

Leroy glared at her coldly as he responded, "It's Grumpy, but most people call me Leroy and I'd really rather you didn't call me either. What are you doing here?"

Before the woman could speak again, Liam looked between her and Leroy while he replied, "Tamara's a part of the rebellion. Greg and his father, Kurt Flynn are too."

"My father's one of our resistance's leaders," Greg said arrogantly, then turned to the older Jones. "Why did you bring them here, Liam? You wouldn't have known this, but we have a past with these two and it's not friendly."

"We're here because we were seeking help from those fighting to bring down Hades and Liam was good enough to direct us to you," August answered in frustration. "If we knew you would be here, we probably wouldn't have come."

Tamara spoke as she looked to August again saying, "So… you've actually died. Being made of wood had its advantages back then. What a pity you couldn't be so still. I'm surprised no one saved you this time. Not Emma… not the Blue Fairy… not your father?"

The woodcarver's son raised his chin when he faced her again and in frustration he responded, "Actually, I'm still very much alive. Despite your best efforts, Tamara. But enough about our history together. My friends and I have come down here on a rescue mission."

"A rescue mission?" Greg questioned in confusion. "There's no way to bring back the dead. Not without there being extremely dark magic involved and not without deadly consequences. Believe me, I know from all my years trying to destroy all magic. Who the hell is worth coming down here to the Underworld that would get you to risk your life for?"

"That isn't any of your business, pal," Grumpy retorted curtly, while Greg, Tamara, and August all turned to back to him.

However, it was then that Kurt Flynn walked over to them at the entrance to their camp hidden within the deep of the woods and then stated, "You're wrong, dwarf. It is our business if you wish to seek our help."

August finally relented and replied, "We've come to save Killian Jones."

"You mean, Captain Hook?" Greg scoffed in surprise at their reveal. "You're risking your life and your soul all for him? Whatever for?"

"Because he isn't the man you clearly knew him as any longer," Tink angrily retorted when she suddenly flew up from August's coat pocket and hovered above everyone's heads as she continued. "He's a good man and a close friend. And he's here because he sacrificed his life to save us all. That's why."

Tamara stepped towards the fairy while she looked up at her, then sneered, "Let me guess… you're in love with him? I think I've heard of you. From the home… the home office that of course turned out to be nothing but a lie. You're the Green Fairy."

Tinker Bell glared down at the other woman as she answered, "You would know more about me if you ever picked up a certain book. And no… I don't love him. I only care about Hook as a close friend. Emma's the one who's in love with him, and he with her. But I'm willing to risk my life to save him nonetheless."

"It's like I told my daughter and her archer just a little bit ago… trying to save Hook is a foolish endeavor you will never succeed in," Cora responded when she appeared within the camp among them, while the heroes all immediately prepared themselves to fight should she attack them upon recognizing her as Regina's mother.

"What are you doing here?" Grumpy asked curtly. "Shouldn't you be burning alive in the hellfire reserved for villains like you? Or are you working with Hades like Pan and some other villains we've sent down here?"

The Queen's mother glared coldly at the dwarf until she looked between each of them as she replied, "Actually… I've been pretending to work for Hades, while in truth I'm the leader in charge of this rebellion raised up against him."

August stared at the woman in disbelief as he uttered, "You can't be serious?"

"It is true," Flynn answered sternly. "She's helped us out quite a bit in trying to find Hades' weaknesses. We've gotten close too. Created a lot of havoc for the God to clean up."

"It appears we were wrong to come to any of you for help then," August responded in frustration, then turned back to Liam, Leroy, and Tinker Bell. "We should get back."

However, someone else also walked out among them, followed by a smaller group of rebels as well, as the familiar face said assuredly, "They might not help you, but I will. As will those standing with me."

Leroy immediately rushed towards the man to embrace him fondly while he happily cried out, "Graham?! What are…? It's so good to see you again, brother."

"It's good to see you too, Leroy," the hunter replied when he also wrapped his arms around his old friend. "Cora mentioned some of you from Storybrooke came down here to try to save a friend of yours. And I owe it to Emma to help her save the man she loves. It's about time."

"Leroy… who is this?" the fairy asked when she flew down so she was eye level with the former sheriff whom she never had the chance to meet, while Liam reached out his hand to shake Liam's making it clear that the two of them knew each other.

The dwarf looked between Tink and August while he answered, "This is Graham, a very close friend to all of ours until he was killed a few years ago by Regina… well by the Evil Queen, before the curse was broken."

Graham nodded and then responded, "It's a long story. Not all of us agree with Cora being our leader. Not all of us trust her. Flynn and I started this rebellion together, but then she came along and wormed her way in and because she has magic, Kurt sided with her as did many others. But I assure you, I am here to help you to save Hook."

"If you leave this camp, Graham… you won't be welcome back," Kurt replied crossly and then turned to Cora, who nodded in agreement. "You will no longer be under Cora's protection."

"That's fine by me," the former sheriff answered them with confidence and then before anyone could question her, Cora suddenly vanished from before them in a cloud of smoke. "I'm used to being on my own and these woods are my world. I can care for myself and for any of those who follow me just fine."

He then turned back to Liam and the rest of his friends from the world above and spoke again saying, "I'm guessing you need a distraction to keep Hades busy for awhile?"

August smiled and then he responded, "If you think you can handle it, we'd be much appreciated. It might the only chance we have to save Hook. Hades won't let him go without a fight. Also, I don't suppose you know where we can get ourselves a boat that will allow for us to escape this world… do you?"

"Actually, I believe I do," the hunter whispered smugly. "Leave the distraction and your escape from the Underworld to us. We'll take care of it."

"I know we can count on you, brother," Leroy stated with confidence, then quickly embraced his friend once again until they all finally walked away from the rebels' camp and the protection spells surrounding it cast by Cora.


	20. Chapter 20

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Twenty

Emma was sitting at the kitchen table within her parents' loft in silence, while David worked in the kitchen to prepare them all something to eat and some hot cocoa with cinnamon just how he knew Emma, Mary Margaret, and Henry all liked it. Father and daughter, as well as Smee decided it was the best place for them to wait for August, Tinker Bell, Leroy, and Liam all to return from trying to gather together a rebellion to rise against Hades in a distraction with the hope it would be enough to lure the God away so they could save Killian at last.

"Smee… tell me about why you're so loyal to Hook," she finally called out to Smee sadly when the first mate, who had known the man she loved longer than anyone, walked past the table to make his way over to the couch, then motioned for him to take a seat at the table across from her. "Please. I'm going crazy waiting here in silence. I know that you care about him and he you, but I've never really thought to ask why. Although, I should have."

"Because he's a great Captain and even when he was a villain, Hook always believed in good form," Mr. Smee answered quietly and then thought for a few moments before he continued. "I've known my fair share of pirates even before I ever met the Captain and believe me, good form is rare among them. Hook was certainly no common pirate, but one of a kind."

Emma nodded in understanding, then she responded, "I don't doubt that. But why is it that you're so loyal to him… that you would risk your life for him by coming with us to the Underworld with only a glimmer of hope that we'll save him? I've read a number of your stories… the Peter Pan stories that is, and have seen all of the movies based on your characters. I know how wrong they are, but you've always been portrayed as a man who would look out for himself first even though you are Captain Hook's first mate. Why are you so different?"

David carried over the cocoas first and set them down in front of Emma and his friend, as well as one for himself in front of the empty space beside his daughter, then returned to the kitchen to grab the grilled cheese sandwiches he made for them, while Smee thought again for another few moments to try to remember when it was he had become so loyal to the man he never really just saw as his Captain, but closest friend as well. Finally, the Prince sat down to join them and they began to eat, while Smee began to speak again.

The big man wearing his red knit hat spoke quietly saying, "The Captain… Hook, he didn't just spare my life the first day we met. On the day he lost both Milah and his hand to Rumplestiltskin, that is. He offered me a place among his crew, as well as a chance to live far longer than any man ever should. I thought then that was all I wanted, but Hook showed me a prolonged life such as what we've had isn't at all what I imagined, especially after we came here… or to Storybrooke that is. When he first told me we would be staying in Storybrooke and that we would be giving up the pirate life, I'll admit I wasn't too happy about it, but I've long since come to realize how grateful I am that it was the decision he made. Hook's never been happier than he was when he was with you, Miss. Swan. And since meeting you, he was always that much more respectful to me and to the few crewmen still there with us since we returned to Storybrooke after your parents' dark curse brought us all back."

"But… there is more to my loyalty to him than that too," Smee quickly added. "Hook showed me his loyalty to me in a way that showed more than just respect. He… he saved my life once. Well, he saved my life several times, but there was one time in particular that comes to mind more than the rest. It wasn't long after we first arrived in Neverland… we didn't know each other well at all. But we were attacked by a particularly foul group of Lost Boys who didn't follow Pan as well as the rest of them did. Hook had already agreed to work for Pan at that point and so the boys were supposed to leave us alone. They didn't agree with his decision to trust a group of pirates to work for them, so they attacked our ship one night after we had just returned from a supply run for Pan. They tried to kill us, but we eventually won the battle. However, the next thing I knew, I found Hook lying against the deck at my feet covered in blood. He had taken a bullet in his chest for me when one of the boys almost killed me. Some of the other crewmen finished taking care of the remaining boys, and I stayed with Hook and helped him recover over the course of the next few days. He almost died back then, but his determination to gain his revenge against the Dark One kept him alive. Which… seeing how his life has turned out until now, it was a good thing I suppose."

"Did you ever ask him why he took that bullet for you?" David finally asked when the first mate paused again.

Smee nodded, then he replied quietly, "He told me it was because he saw a loyalty in me that he knew he would never find from another pirate again and he respected me for it. I suppose it was true, but… the truth was I really just enjoyed the pirate life and working under his command. Honestly, I had no idea that I was all that loyal to him. I was just… having fun. I won't ever forget those words he said to me, or what he did for me that day when he nearly gave his life just to save mine. Once he was recovered enough to take up command behind the wheel of the Jolly Roger again, he officially made me his first mate."

Emma smiled when the big man finished his tale and then she sincerely stated, "Thank you for telling me, Mr. Smee."

"You're welcome, Miss. Swan," he answered gently.

"Please… call me Emma," the Savior quickly responded. "You don't have to be so formal with me. I'm not your typical Princess just because I was born to one and her Prince."

David laughed and the first mate smiled then and replied, "All right… Emma then."

The Prince was about to speak again until all of a sudden, August, Liam, Leroy, and Tinker Bell all returned from their task as the Green Fairy used her magic to transport them all back to where their friends had been waiting for them. Emma dropped her half eaten sandwich back on her plate upon their arrival having forgotten it, then waited for her friends to share what she hoped would be good news.

Grumpy was the first to talk again as he said excitedly, "You're never going to guess who all we ran into, Emma. And you'll never guess who else is working against us either."

"Let me guess… Cora's working against us?" she answered curtly. "Regina told us she came to her to discourage her from staying here to help us save Killian."

"Yeah, but she's the one who's in charge of the rebels we went to see, working both sides in hope of winding up on the side of whoever ends up on top," the dwarf continued crossly. "But at least we also discovered that Graham is a part of their rebellion as well."

August quickly corrected his friend saying, "At least he was, until he disagreed with Cora's rule for them not to help us, then left their camp along with a smaller group of them who sided with his stand to help us fight against Hades, like they've been trying to do for a long time."

Leroy added, "Oh… and Greg and Tamara were among them as well. They weren't too happy to see us or to learn that we've come down here to try to save Hook either."

"Do you think they'll attempt to come up against us to try to keep us from saving Killian?" the Savior questioned worryingly.

"Not right now they won't," Tink responded when she cut in, then transformed herself back into her human size. "Cora vanished from among the others just before I brought us back here, but I doubt it was to warn Hades. I got the sense she was after something else."

Emma nodded as she replied, "Yeah… she's after Regina. She plans to convince Regina to leave the Underworld by threatening her father. We need to move fast. Are Graham and the rebels preparing to create the diversion we need?"

Liam stated, "He is. Do you really have a way of finding Killian?"

"I hope so," the Savior whispered when she walked to the couch where she dropped her red leather jacket after taking it off upon their arrival at the loft, then pulled Killian's hook out again from its inside pocket as the precious metal now in her hands began to glow the moment she touched it. "This is one of the first spells Regina taught me, only I tweaked it a little. Hades said he cast a spell over Killian so I wouldn't be able to use my magic to help him. I didn't want to take any chances that his spell included blocking a locator spell to help us find him too."

"Let's go," she uttered when the hook suddenly rose from her hands, then began to float in the air before the heroes until it finally flew off, and they immediately rushed after it.


	21. Chapter 21

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Twenty-One

Meanwhile…

 _After Regina and Robin had left their friends once again in hope of being in time to save her father from her mother's cruel fate she had in store for him, they raced back to the fiery cave where Cora had sentenced Blacktooth to the hellfire now below them. Upon their arrival, Regina cried out for her father when she saw him standing on the edge of the cliff just where the criminal had stood before his death an hour before, then started running towards him until Cora suddenly appeared before her again in her cloud of purple smoke to block her path._

 _While she kept her eyes between her parents, Regina spoke to Cora as she curtly demanded, "Let him go, Mother."_

 _The Queen's mother turned to face her daughter and disappointedly responded, "You should be on that boat."_

 _"I can't turn my back on those I love," Regina despondently replied, with a shake of her head._

 _"I know that seems like the right choice, but life doesn't work that way," Cora answered sternly. "I implore you, leave this place."_

 _Henry Sr. faced his daughter as well while he called out to her stating, "No, Regina. Stay here. Help your friends. She's trying to bait you."_

 _The Queen responded, "I didn't come back just to help my friends. I came back to help everyone."_

 _"That's not possible," her mother retorted curtly. "You have to trust me."_

 _"Let him go," Regina pleaded with her once more._

 _Cora replied firmly, "Oh, please listen to reason. Listen to me. Either way, my time in the Underworld is done. Yours can be, too. Just do what I say."_

 _Regina turned her head to look back at the man she loved while she spoke to him quietly saying, "Robin, stand back."_

 _"Please don't force my hand," the villainess pleaded with her daughter again when Regina stepped closer towards her, even though Cora knew then she was going to lose this argument. "I don't want to do this."_

 _"Then don't," the Mayor pleaded back._

 _Cora looked at her again darkly and then whispered, "I'm sorry."_

 _It was then that she suddenly used her magic to command the fire to surround her husband and her daughter's father while Regina immediately rushed forward to try to help him until she was suddenly blocked by a barrier of fire, then Regina screamed, "No!"_

 _"One day, you'll understand," Cora said quietly to Regina once more when the younger woman turned around again to face her, then finally magicked herself away._

 _"Daddy!" the former Evil Queen cried fearfully as she turned back to her father with tears streaming down her face while he continued to become consumed by the fire from the pit below him. "I'm so sorry."_

 _However, the fire still surrounding him suddenly vanished and Regina looked on at him with confusion as she uttered, "Daddy?"_

 _Henry raised his hand out to her to keep her back while he stated firmly, "Stop. Stay there. I'm okay."_

 _"What's happening?" she asked in worry._

 _"I don't know," he answered quietly while he looked in front of him and beneath his feet into the fires which faded into something more, when a walkway extended from the cliff's edge where Regina's father stood, to a bright white light that suddenly appeared before them so he could move on. "There's… something down here. It's so… it's beautiful. It's where I belong."_

 _However, before he walked towards the light, Henry Sr. turned back to face Regina again and walked towards her, then he spoke again tenderly saying, "I know what my unfinished business was now. It was you."_

 _Regina looked at him strangely as she questioned, "Me?"_

 _"For so long, I let your mother get in the way of who you really are," her father continued sadly. "It was the biggest regret of my life. But now… you're free of her. And I've never been more proud."_

"Hello," Robin then stated as he stepped forward to stand with the woman he loved when she started to cry again with joy, then the archer extended his hand out to her father. "I'm Robin Hood. And… I'm in love with your daughter. She's an amazing woman, Sir. Thanks to you."

Henry smiled as he shook the archer's hand and responded, "It's a pleasure and a joy to meet you, son. Thank you, for loving my daughter."

Regina finally stopped crying enough so she could speak again as she laid her hand over her father's shoulder and whispered, "Daddy… Oh, I really wish you could have met your grandson. I named him Henry. I named him after you. He's thirteen now. You would have loved him, as he would have loved you. He really wanted to come, but…"

"…but the Underworld is no place for a boy," Henry Sr. finished for her. "I'm so happy for you, Regina. A father could not be happier for his daughter, than I am for you."

 _"You take good care of her," he added when he looked at the archer once more, then glanced again towards his entrance to heaven before he faced Regina in finality. "It's time for me to go."_

 _She sadly replied, "Daddy, no."_

 _He reached out his hand in order to caress her cheek gently while he answered, "I love you, Regina. Never forget… who you really are."_

 _"Okay," the Queen responded sincerely, then she and Robin watched on as Henry moved on by crossing the bridge into heaven, tears still streaming down her face while she continued to cry in silence._

"Come on," the archer finally said once her father was gone and then pulled the woman he loved into his arms to hold her so he could comfort her. "We should get back to our friends so we can help them save Hook. Just like your father would want."

She smiled at Robin when she pulled her head back so she could look into his eyes, then replied, "You're right. Let's go find them. And Robin… thank you again for being here with me right now. I'm happy my father was at least able to meet you before he moved on."

He leaned in to kiss her, then when he pulled back, Robin answered, "I'm proud to have met him too. I see where your strength and love comes from. You have more of your father in you than you have of your mother. Don't ever forget that."

She laughed, then without any more hesitation, Regina raised her hand and waved it above them as they vanished within her own smoke cloud so they return to the others who were about to embark on their own dangerous mission. They only hoped they would be in time to save Hook too.


	22. Chapter 22

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Twenty-Two

Meanwhile, in Storybrooke…

It was the middle of the night and most everyone within the small and quiet town were fast asleep. However, for some sleep didn't come as easily as it did for most, as the few of those most effected by the events which took place within Camelot days ago struggled to allow the peace that usually came with sleep to fall over them. Henry was one of them, as the thirteen year old managed to drift off to sleep, until what started out as one of his precious memories between him and Killian which he clung dearly to, suddenly became a dreaded nightmare.

Just over a year ago, on the beach after night had fallen…

 _"I think I've tied every knot in here," Henry called out to the pirate captain standing a few feet away from where he sat on a log, back when the boy had no memory of who he really was, or who anyone else within Storybrooke was either, then he put aside the rope and book he held in his hands to turn his attention to Hook. "When do we get to the part about my dad?"_

 _"Just a few moments longer," Killian replied somberly while he looked up into the sky while he waited patiently for the stars to rise, then swiftly pointed out to the one he was searching for. "There. Come here."_

 _Hook quickly waved Henry over to him and handed him his sextant while the teenager asked, "What's this?"_

 _The Captain looked between him and the precious instrument now in the boy's hands while he responded, "That, my boy, is a sextant. It's a tool used by sailors to navigate."_

 _"Like a GPS?" the twelve year old asked as he looked up at his mother's friend in curiosity._

 _"Aye," Killian stated strangely, having no idea what a GPS actually was, yet assuming it probably was if the boy thought so, then smiled up at the stars as he was happy to have this time to teach Henry about them as he had taught his father too, so many years ago. "It measures our position using the stars."_

 _Henry looked back at the pirate again when he realized Killian didn't know what he had meant after all, while he answered, "Not sure that's what a GPS does, but what does this have to do with my dad?"_

 _Hook looked down between him and the sextant again while he replied, "Well, I taught him to navigate with one. Just like I'm gonna teach you."_

 _"Were you both in the Navy or something?" the teenager questioned him again, growing more curious by this man's past the more they spoke._

 _"No, Bae… Neal was just a boy when I taught him," Killian responded sadly._

 _The thirteen year old suddenly became confused by the Captain's strange answer and he uttered sternly, "Wait. Aren't you the same age? It seems like the more you guys tell me about my dad, the less things make sense."_

 _The pirate captain looked down at him worryingly while Henry continued, "I don't want to learn how to navigate. I… I just want to hear something about him that doesn't make it sound like it's made up so I'll like the guy."_

 _"Your mother isn't keeping things from you because she doesn't want you to know the truth," Hook quietly answered._

 _"I know she's doing it to protect me," Henry replied curtly. "But how am I supposed to feel anything about him being gone if I don't know what he was like when he was here?"_

 _Killian looked down at him and nodded while he sympathetically responded, "Fair enough, mate. What I haven't told you is why I taught your father to sail. Because he'd just lost his father. I thought the sea would help ease his sorrow."_

 _The boy cut in again as he stated, "Wait. He lost his dad, too?"_

 _"Aye," the Captain answered. "To something dark and evil. When he wasn't much older than you."_

 _"Really?" Henry questioned him again._

 _Hook nodded and then replied, "Indeed. You see, you might not think you know much about your father, but you have more in common with him than you realize."_

 _Henry seemed to finally accept Killian's words as the truth then and at last he smiled up at the Captain in gratitude for his kindness despite seeing the sadness in his friend's eyes while the older man continued looking down at him as well, until he turned away to stare up at the stars, failing to see Killian's sadness only deepen._

Silence fell over them, until they were both suddenly startled by a voice which matched Killian's own and they turned around only to come face to face with a monster who wore the Captain's face, though his appearance was frighteningly different despite them wearing the same attire, as the imposter's skin sparkled translucently gold, his eyes had become completely black except for the golden rings that shined around his pupils, and his black hair was even more disheveled while his bangs hung down low over his right eye.

Henry backed up against his friend, while the true Captain quickly pulled the boy behind him without taking his eyes off of the villain standing before them, fearfully recognizing him to be in the form of the Dark One despite having no memory of becoming the very monster he feared and hated so deeply.

The thirteen year old worryingly cried out, "Killian… who is that? Why does he look like you?"

"I don't know, but Henry… you need to run," Hook quickly responded while he pulled his cutlass from its scabbard he wore at his side, then used his hook to grab the teenager's arm in urgency to push him away from him. "Get back to you mother and warn her a danger has arisen other than Zelena."

"I don't understand," he uttered in confusion, not moving from where he stood frozen staring between his friend and the pirate's doppelganger. "What's going on?"

Hook brusquely shouted at him, "Just go! Now!"

However, Henry found he couldn't move as he found he was somehow frozen where he stood, and it was then that the villain before them spoke darkly saying, "Don't worry about the boy, Killian. He isn't who I've come for. I've come for you."

"I know what you are, but whatever you want of me… you won't get it," Killian answered him with the same tone in his voice and all of a sudden, the two of them began to fight as their swords clashed together in battle.

Henry watched on in fear while they fought like pirates as though he had become magically transported into one of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies he'd gone with his mom to see in the theaters while they lived in New York. It was impossible, as was what he was seeing before his very eyes, but he couldn't deny he knew this was somehow very real and not a movie.

The sword fight between Killian and the monster who looked like him raged on and neither man faltered, until the darker of them suddenly forced Killian off his feet when he used his hook to pull one of his legs out from under him. In doing so, the Captain fell back into the fire burning behind him, causing him to scream out in pain. Killian was able to roll off before the flames could hurt him too badly, but he'd laid there long enough for the fire to severely burn his hand, enough so he could barely hold onto his blade any longer.

Henry cried out Killian's name once again as the Dark One forced Killian to remain on his back against the ground despite his friend's struggle to rise again, then the monster knocked the cutlass from his hand and forced the tip his own to Killian's throat. The villain grinned cruelly at himself while he slowly knelt down over him, then magically transformed his hook he wore in place of his left hand into one made of flesh, instead of the fake wooden hand which Henry could see Killian wore, and finally pulled a large jagged dagger with intricate designs engraved within its blade from his duster's right inside pocket.

And then, he could do nothing for Killian as he watched in horror when the monster suddenly plunged the dagger deep into Killian's abdomen and Henry cried out in fear and anger as the Dark One did so. Once Hook stilled as he slowly died, his blood spilling from the fatal wound in his stomach, the villain finally pulled the dagger out, then he raised his head to face Henry as a smug grin continued to adorn his face until he disappeared within a cloud of red smoke, leaving Killian's body behind to lie dead within the cold sand beneath him.

Back in the present…

Henry suddenly gasped awake with a scream, just like he had the many times he used to dream of the room on fire after he had been awakened from the Evil Queen's sleeping curse meant for Emma instead of him, and immediately sat up while he struggled to get his breathing back under control. Within a matter of seconds, Mary Margaret swiftly appeared before her grandson after she ran upstairs to the loft upon hearing his scream and she laid her hand gently over the side of his face in order to try to comfort him.

"Shhh… it's okay, Henry," she whispered soothingly while she continued to caress his cheek. "It was only a dream. Whatever you saw… it wasn't real."

However, he looked fearfully into her eyes as he replied, "Yes it was. Not… not like how I just dreamt it, but it still happened. Killian died because he became the Dark One. He was protecting me, like he protected us all and he's suffering for it. Please… don't make me try to go back to sleep. I can't see that again."

Snow pulled him into a hug and held him while she responded sadly, "I won't, Henry. I won't."


	23. Chapter 23

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Twenty-Three

Deep within Hades' lair…

Graham and the rest of those who followed after him to help the heroes above, entered the God's lair and stepped into the center of the throne room past where the five rivers merged together by way of the dungeons just beyond, their weapons out and raised as the Huntsman and his friends were prepared for a fight against an all-powerful being they didn't expect to be able to defeat. They only hoped to distract Hades long enough to buy their friends the time they needed to find and save their friend.

"Hades isn't here," one of the woman among them said with concern in her voice when they arrived and stopped to look around.

"So much for our plan to bring the fight to him," another of the rebels answered brusquely, then he turned around to face their leader.

The hunter loosened his grip on his bow while he looked around them and then he replied, "We've invaded his throne room and now we make it known to him we're here. Destroy everything you can. Hades will soon learn he's got company, and hopefully it's enough to draw him back here."

A rebel standing beside him spoke out in objection saying, "We won't stand a chance against him if Hades surprises us by coming back here when our backs are turned."

"We're already dead, Eli," Graham responded strongly, when he turned his head to look over at the friend who disagreed with him. "We've been living as prey for this God and his goons, only raising our weapons to defend ourselves. Now we have a chance to take the fight to him so we can help those who need us. And Hades won't surprise us so long as we expect him to show his face. Now… are you with me?"

"You're right," the one Graham called Eli answered with a nod of his head. "Destroy everything you said?"

The Huntsman smiled as he replied, "As much as you can."

Graham swiftly re-tethered his bow again and swiftly aimed his arrow, then let it fly as the projectile struck the head of the deity's throne. The rest of those brave enough to stand with their friend lifted their own bows, swords, pistols, and whatever other weapons they brought with them again, then followed the hunter's lead as they began to plunder and destroy everything before them.

Before he joined in with them again, Graham swiftly turned to another of his friends among them and pulled the woman over to towards the green river where a boat laid in wait while he whispered, "Before Hades returns, I need you to see what you can do about pilfering this boat so we can give it to Emma and her friends, so they'll be able to leave the Underworld when the time comes. Can you do that?"

"Of course I can," she responded confidently, then they carefully bent down above the boat floating within the river knowing the water couldn't be touched. "I've fought with you to protect those trying to hide from Hades and his thugs for two years, Graham. I thought you knew me."

"I do," the Huntsman answered and then leaned in to kiss her, and she him until she pulled away first to do as he asked of her. "Thank you, Lila."

Lila smiled when Graham rose to his feet again to join with the others in the lair's destruction, then she laid her hand up against the boat's planks and summoned the magic within her as her powers emitted from her palm. In a matter of seconds, the boat began to shrink until at last a glass bottle was swiftly forged around it to capture the vessel within. Once she finished, the witch used her power again to lift the bottle from the River of Lost Souls, then reached out to take hold of it.

The men and women now separated and banished from the rest of the rebellion worked hard and fast to do as was needed of them. Graham walked to the throne and pulled his arrow again from its head rest, then used it to slash the back and cushioning until it was shredded. A few of the men took their handmade clubs and hammers to smash the stone statues and any other possessions that the deity surrounded himself with. Possessions which Hades had stolen from the many worlds above he had visited within the limited time he was able to leave his realm.

Then, just as the Huntsman hoped, Hades finally appeared among the band of rebels along with a number of his own men including the pirate crew who used to work under Captain Silver's command, and the God was angry upon seeing his lair being invaded and destroyed by those he had ordered many of his own minions to find, only for them to have failed him.

Graham swiftly fired another arrow directly at Hades towards his chest in order to draw attention onto himself. As expected, the deity was easily able to catch it as it was about to strike him and when he did so, he used his power to raise the projectile into the air, then propelled it directly back at the hunter who immediately dodged it when he ducked behind the grandfather clock standing near the God's throne.

Hades called out to the leader crossly stating, "You rebels are brave, but attacking me in my own lair… far more foolish than brave. Or is it that you're after something I might have stolen from you?"

Graham looked toward the deity from behind the clock and being careful not to give away the real reason for them being there, he firmly replied, "Let's just say that we've grown tired of living in hiding and in fear. We're just here to make a stand. As foolish as it might seem in your eyes."

"What you've done is condemn yourself and your friends here to a much worse fate than having to hide out in the woods under some witch's protection spells," the God smugly retorted until he was suddenly struck from behind him by a blast of power and when he turned around to face his assailant, Lila stood there with her hands raised before her, then attempted to blast him again, only this time Hades was able to deflect her magic as he propelled it at two of the other rebels among them, knocking them both unconscious. "Let me guess… you're the witch helping these rebels? You've picked the wrong side to fight on."

"I don't believe I have," she responded confidently. "You can do whatever you want to us, but not everyone here in this realm of yours is afraid of you. And we aren't the last of our rebellion."

Hades glared at the woman and swiftly fired his own magic at her, which she attempted to block with her own, but his power was too strong for her and she was suddenly thrown back against one of the stone walls behind her, then fell roughly against the ground. She was hurting and winded, but not knocked unconscious. Yet she could barely move, though she struggled to rise again to her feet to help her friends when the other rebels began to charge at the deity. The Huntsman fired another arrow at him to draw Hades' attention away from her, the projectile striking him in his back. While he reached behind him to pull it out, three more of the men and women charged him. Unfortunately, Hades swiftly raised his hand out against them as he emitted his power again and blasted each of them into the green river flowing behind them, then propelled another right into the River of Forgetfulness.

The God struck out against Graham again when the hunter suddenly ran out from his cover behind the clock and raced past Hades when he became distracted again by a few more of those fighting with Graham, but Graham deflected the deity's magic using the sword he also carried on him which had been enchanted to deflect magic even as powerful as Hades'.

While he helped the witch he had grown to love despite them both being trapped within the Underworld, it was then that Hades gave a loud whistle and all of a sudden, a three headed dog came charging into the lair as the beast known as Cerberus swiftly began to attack the rebels who immediately turned their attentions to the creature.

When he saw that Hades was watching his pet fighting against the remainder of their friends, Graham helped Lila back to her feet as he whispered quickly, "We need to get out of here so we can find Emma and the others. They need that boat."

She made sure she still had the bottle containing the vessel and that it was safely tucked within her clothes, then answered just as quietly, "Let's go. Do you think we've given them enough time?"

"I hope so," the hunter responded somberly.

"Come on," Lila uttered and then swiftly used her magic once more to place a cloaking spell over herself and Graham so they could run past the God hopefully undetected while he remained distracted, then escaped from his throne room once again by way of the dungeons where they entered from.

Hades finally gave another loud whistle to stop Cerberus from destroying anymore of what was left of the rubble throughout his lair once those other than their leaders were either captured after being taken down by the three headed beast, or knocked into one of the five rivers surrounding them. Then he turned around in search of Graham and Lila only to find they had escaped within the chaos. The God let out a scream in anger, then he went to work in remodeling his throne room after ordering the beast to return to the dungeons.


	24. Chapter 24

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Twenty-Four

Emma and the rest of those with her raced after Killian's hook still flying in the air ahead of them, as the precious metal continued to lead them through town past the few onlookers outside of their shops who stood frozen as they watched the heroes run down the street chasing after a magical object. So far, the Savior's plan seemed to be working for which she was grateful and yet still afraid that at any moment Hades would appear despite Graham's distraction she knew was also going on then as well, as she was finally so close to finding the man she loved.

They followed the hook down another street outside of town until at last it finally stopped a moment as it hovered once again before them and the Savior stared up at the house it stopped in front of in surprise when she strangely recognized it to be the same house which Killian had picked out for her in hope of asking Emma to move in with him.

"Emma… what is it?" her father then asked her in worry. "Is there something wrong?"

"No," she responded quietly as she pulled the paper Hades had given her with Killian's handwriting over the advertisement for this house and held it out for him and their friends to see why she was so taken aback by where Killian's hook had brought them to. "It's just… Killian was going to ask me to move in here with him. Before the darkness took him away from us. He must have bought this place to settle into it beforehand so he could. Hades gave me this paper to taunt me. I'm surprised this is where his hook led us. I just don't understand. I might have screwed up."

However, Regina and Robin walked up behind the rest of their friends again after she had transported herself and the archer back to them, while the Queen spoke up saying, "Don't undermine yourself or your power within you, Emma. That's how you'll fail to save Hook. Trust your instinct. What is it telling you?"

The Savior took a moment to listen to her senses and after she had done so, she despondently answered, "This is the right way. I can feel it."

"Let's keep going then," David replied and walked up the steps leading up to the house as everyone else followed after him.

He paused a second to carefully touch the door knob in order to test whether or not there was some kind of magic cast over the doorway to prevent them from entering inside and was grateful to find that the door opened without any trouble. Then David stepped aside to allow his daughter to walk in first so he and the others could follow her lead.

"Well… Killian certainly has great taste," Tinker Bell said sounding impressed when the heroes all stopped again as they stood between the house's living room and the kitchen to look around them for the right way to continue on. "This house is beautiful."

Emma nodded, then whispered, "Yes it is."

She then turned back to the door in front of her which she assumed led down into the basement of the house and walked towards it when Killian's hook hovered there. However, as she carefully reached out to touch its handle as her father had done with the front door, Emma was suddenly repelled by a powerful discharge of magic and she immediately pulled her hand away while she stepped back.

She cursed upon feeling the shock as David quickly asked if she was alright, again to which she simply nodded and then Regina walked forward to stand beside her friend while she stated, "This has to be the right path. Hades must have cast a spell over the areas within Underbrooke where he doesn't want us going."

"There has to be a way past his securities," August responded while he looked around them for any possible way that might help them.

"There are… so long as one of the souls who is trapped down here is among you," a voice answered from behind them when all of a sudden, no more than an image of the Apprentice's face appeared before them in an effort to help the heroes who had come to save their friend and to defeat the villain who ruled the Underworld. "And I see that you do."

Everyone stared in surprise at their old friend, who had died just before Hook had, and Emma asked, "What do you mean… so long as we have one of the souls here with us? Can Liam help us get past the magic Hades put in place to keep us from Killian?"

The Apprentice looked over at the older Jones, who only stared back at the mirage before them as well, then the old man replied, "All you must do is take his hand and his aura will extend around you as well so that any living souls can pass. However, you must be careful and use as little magic as you must. You're about to enter one of the most treacherous domains here within the Underworld and Hades may sense your magic should you use it for too much. I must go. I'm afraid this is all I am able to do to help you. I hope you can find Hook and succeed in saving him from his dark fate."

"Thank you," Emma quickly called out to him until his face suddenly vanished from before them once again.

"We have to keep going," she then uttered again as she looked over at Liam, who nodded and reached out to take her hand in his own, then took Regina's as well while the two women reached out with their free hands for the others to follow their lead as they all also took a hand so that Liam's aura would extend around each of them just as the Apprentice told them it would.

Liam momentarily let go of Regina's hand and reached out to touch the door handle. This time no shock came, so he opened the door and slowly led them through the entryway and down the stairs leading them down into the depths of the Underworld. They continued to follow after Killian's hook as they made their way through the first tunnel before them and stepped out into a wide open cavern where several more tunnels extended off from the room. The hook continued to lead them on ahead in the right direction towards the cavern where Killian was being held captive.

The heroes cautiously walked through a narrow tunnel, before the depths of the realm they were all trapped in opened up into a cavern that was far bigger than the one they first passed through. Ahead of them, there was another passageway beneath an arch, where above was a dreaded warning to all the souls who ever entered through there. _Abandon all hope ye who enter here_. The warning sent chills up and down Emma's spine, as it did to most of the others with her as well.

Unfortunately, between them and the passageway, was the River of Lost Souls where several of the souls the God of the Underworld possessed whom he had punished to the worst kind of fate any soul good or bad should have to suffer. And there wasn't a boat for them to cross the green river with, so magic was going to be needed for them to get to the other side.

Liam spoke warily as he looked out over the river saying, "I may have been able to get you through Hades' barriers thus far, but we can't get across this river without a vessel to carry us across."

Emma reached out to take Killian's hook once more and clutched it tightly against her chest while she stared ahead of her at the warning above the entry way and into the darkness within the passageway beneath it, then she tucked the hook back into her jacket as she desperately responded, "This is it. He's close. Killian's down there. I can feel it. I feel him."

"Tink… is there anything you might be able to do to help us get across the river?" David asked the Green Fairy as she stood close beside him and turned her head so she could look into his eyes. "The Apprentice may have warned us against using magic unless we had to, but I don't see another option."

"I might be able to help you all to fly across, but I can sense that my power is weakened here," she answered softly while she struggled to ignite even a spark of her magic through the tips of her fingers. "The further down we've travelled, the weaker it's become."

Regina attempted to conjure her own power within the palm of her hand, then upon discovering it was the same for her, she replied, "It's true. All of our powers have severely been diminished. The warning above that arch is certainly no joke."

Tinker Bell finally felt a surge of magic after she concentrated fully on trying to summon as much power within her as she could and then said again, "I can get us across, but my magic won't last long and getting back… I'm not sure if it will be possible."

"You can leave that to me," Regina responded assuredly. "I can figure something out once you get Hook out of there. I'll stay here and work on a way to get you across. Robin and a few others can stay with me, so all of us won't require Tinker Bell's magic. But we need to hurry. I doubt our presence here won't have gone unnoticed by whatever securities Hades has here. He may be distracted at the moment, but who knows how long it'll last."

"Tink… it's time," Emma stated to her friend urgently as she faced her. "Are we supposed to think happy thoughts in order to fly?"

The fairy smiled as she answered, "It certainly wouldn't hurt, but unlike what it says in all the books about us fairies and what's shown in the movies, it isn't required."

She then transformed herself back into her fairy form and flew up until she hovered above her friends' heads, raised her hand to her lips, and blew out as fairy dust spread over Emma, David, Liam, and August who rose up from the ground as they began to fly. The Savior nodded at Regina, then led the way once more as she and the others flew across the river until they landed safely upon the rock surface on the other side where a stairwell led up to the entryway of the final tunnel beneath the dark warning, and they swiftly ran inside, leaving Regina, Robin, Smee, and Leroy behind.

Emma ran ahead of the others down the dark passageway until the end finally appeared before her and she immediately quickened her pace. But upon arriving within the cavern she'd seen within the crystal ball shown to her by Hades, she froze when the rock path beneath her feet suddenly ended where the River of Lost Souls continued to flow below.

However, she immediately looked ahead of her in horror when her eyes at last truly fell on the man she loved, as Killian hung down over the rounded platform above the river from a heavy, rusted old chain wrapped tightly around his body, which suddenly lowered him another drop with a booming squeal of the gears working to do so.

David ran out from the tunnel and remained behind her along with the others just as Emma fearfully screamed, "Killian!"

"Be careful," David firmly warned his daughter when she looked around for a way across to the platform and quickly started to walk across one of the narrow beams that led to the platform without hesitation, just as the chain lowered Killian again another drop. "God… there's not much time left."

 _"Hang on!" Emma shouted out to Killian even though it was clear to her and the others that he wasn't conscious to know they were even there for him. "I'm coming for you!"_

Emma continued to cross uneasily, breathing heavily as she concentrated on remaining as balanced as she could, until she suddenly stumbled and almost fell. It was then that David quickly stepped out onto the beam as well to follow his daughter so he'd be able to help her save Killian once they reached him, while Tinker Bell flew out between her friends to be ready to catch them should either of them fall, her fairy dust she had spread over them having already worn off.

Liam started to walk towards the beam to join them, but August laid his hand over the older Jones' shoulder and held him back knowing that right then he would only be a hindrance to the others until they came back should the beam and the platform across from them not be sturdy enough to hold them all up.

The Savior was able to regain her balance and she kept moving forward until at last she finally reached the platform, then just as Killian was about to fall into the water barely beneath his feet, Emma swiftly grabbed ahold of him and struggled to pull him back from within the opening in the platform. Thankfully, her father wasn't far behind her and David joined her in pulling Killian to safety, then gently laid him down against the metal beneath them. The Green Fairy hovered above them as she looked down on her friends with worry.

Emma noticed his ring she had magically sent back to him now resting over his chest from the chain around his neck, then gently lifted Killian's upper body up against her and held him close as she began to cry, until she whispered softly, "I've got you. I'm here, Killian. We all are."

David laid his hand down on her shoulder and then uttered quietly, "We need to get out of here. Let's get this chain off of him."

The two of them worked together to unravel the chain from around the God's prisoner and finally Hook was freed, then both Emma and David pulled the unconscious and seriously wounded man between them as they rose back to their feet. Tink conjured up just enough of her magic to disperse fairy dust over their heads and they flew with Killian back to the others who were patiently waiting for them on the cliff's ledge. Liam took David's place at his brother's side as he carefully wrapped Killian's left arm across his shoulders and Emma did the same with his right arm despite the chains and shackles he still wore, while everyone returned through the tunnel again to rejoin the rest of their friends waiting for them on the other side.

True to her word, Regina thankfully found a way to get her friends back across the green river, so when they reappeared at the entrance and made their way down the steps to the landing where they had crossed to, they discovered a bridge across forged from thick purple smoke as the Queen struggled to keep her magic together while she kept her hands and arms raised out in front of her to do so.

"She won't be able to hold it long, so you've got to hurry!" Robin shouted out to their friends across the river, who then trusted Regina enough to cross.

The moment the others had safely joined with them again on the right side, Regina almost collapsed to the ground as her magic faded, yet Robin immediately caught her in his arms while Smee and Grumpy quickly grabbed their friends by their arms to keep them from falling back into the river once the smoke dispersed with their final steps onto the edge.

"Thank you, Regina," the Savior said to her with sincerity when the two women locked eyes on one another once the dark haired woman was able to regain her strength and stood upright again.

"You have Henry to thank for that little trick," the Queen replied while she smiled at her friend. "We watched Mary Poppins a few times while he was growing up. He loved the chimneysweeps dancing on the rooftops and seeing the kid in that movie get soot blown into his face when he stuck his head into the chimney… well, it doesn't really matter. You've found your pirate. Let's get out of here."

Together, everyone made their way once again through the narrow tunnel as fast as they were able to with their injured friend safely among them until at last they arrived outside of the caves below and finally found themselves somewhere within the middle of the woods, having taken a different path out instead of returning to the house Killian had bought for him and Emma.

Liam motioned for David to take over holding his brother up for him and pulled away from them once the Prince took his place, then the older Jones spoke again saying, "If you'll follow me, I can lead us to someplace Hades won't ever suspect us to go. Anywhere you can think of to take us back in town, he'll find us there if he comes looking."

While the others looked around them as they took a few moments to think on it, Grumpy was the first one to respond, "I almost hate to agree with Jones here, but his idea isn't actually a bad one this time. Nor was the one to go to the rebels for help. We found Graham, whose distraction must have worked seeing as we're not all dead and Hades never showed up."

Emma looked over at Killian the best she could as she continued holding him against her with her father's help, then turned back to Liam and answered, "You're right. Lead the way. We will follow you."

Together, everyone continued to make their way through the woods until they reached Underbrooke's replica of the toll bridge, where everyone among them was surprised to run into Graham and the witch who fought with the hunter against Hades so they could succeed in rescuing Killian just as they've done.

"Graham…" the Savior uttered quietly, yet with a smile on her face upon seeing him again since the terrible night he had died in her arms as they were about to share a kiss.

"It's really good to see you all again," the Huntsman stated sincerely while he looked around at each of his friends, until his eyes darkened upon seeing the pain inflicted upon their friend they had come to save and whom he had yet to meet. "My God… I'm so sorry. Do you know of a place where you can care for him yet?"

Regina shamefully kept her gaze away from the man she had killed years ago for the time being until the time was right for her to approach him so she could apologize, while David looked at his old friend as he replied, "We do. Liam knows somewhere we hope Hades won't think to look for us, at least for awhile. But we should save our greetings and everything else until we're not out here in the open and so exposed."

Graham nodded in agreement and then took his place among his friends along with Lila as well, then everyone continued to follow after Liam deeper into the woods. They walked for what felt like hours to them the heavier Killian became between Emma and David while they continued to hold him, when in truth their walk was no more than twenty minutes.

At last, they came upon a cottage within a small clearing where a brook of fresh clear water flowed behind it, reminding Grumpy a little of his old home where he had lived with his six brothers and Snow White, all whom he missed very much the longer he was away from them all and stuck within the Underworld.

Asking what was on everyone's minds, Regina questioned, "Who lives here?"

"Someone who can help us," Liam responded. "Although… I should tell you, being here won't be so easy on my brother once he comes around."

"Nothing's going to be easy for him," Tinker Bell answered sadly.

Liam shook his head as they approached the front door and he replied, "No… of course not. It's just… well, you might understand better once you meet her."

The older Jones turned to the door and knocked twice while everyone else waited nervously behind him, until an older, yet beautiful woman with long, raven black hair and deep blue eyes appeared before them as she cautiously opened up her door and looked around at the faces before her, then Liam uttered quietly, "Hello, Mother."


	25. Chapter 25

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Twenty-Five

In Storybrooke…

Henry rested on his mother's bed upstairs while he let Mary Margaret continue to try to comfort him for a little while longer, as he shared with her what he saw in his dream, until finally he told his grandmother that he was going to go out for a walk in hope of clearing his head despite it being well after midnight. He had no desire to go back to bed knowing all too well that the nightmares would only return if he tried. Not that sleep was really a possibility even if he wanted it.

Once he left the loft despite Mary Margaret's attempts to convince him to stay inside and try to go back to bed, the thirteen year old walked down the main street through the square when she finally relented and let him go, then he headed down to the beach to where Killian had first taught him about the stars just like he remembered in his dream before it became a nightmare.

He walked down to the same log where he sat that night a couple of years ago, then raised his head to look up at the stars in the sky as he mentally pointed out each of the constellations Killian taught him about, then knelt down in the sand and began to build himself a campfire when he began to feel the chill from the cold night air. Once the pyre for the fire was finished, Henry pulled a lighter from his pocket to light it.

However, when he was about to do so, he was surprised when Belle walked up behind him as she whispered, "Hello, Henry."

The teenager looked up at her and quickly stood up while he replied, "Grandma. I mean… Belle. Sorry. It's just… I wasn't expecting I'd see anyone out here at this hour. It's really late. Are you alright?"

"I was going to ask you the same question," she stated quietly and then sat down on the log nearby when he motioned for her to do so, while he turned back to the pyre so he could light it.

"I suppose I'm too worried about the future to sleep," the beauty finally answered him once Henry finished and finally sat down on the log beside her so he could face her while they talked. "I mean the future between me and Rumple. His power is gone and he's finally just the man behind the beast. I'm so excited to get to know him all over again without the darkness being a part of him. However, while I understand that a part of him yearns for his power back because it's been with him for a couple of centuries, I fear that he'll come to resent me for asking Emma to rid him of it."

Henry nodded in understanding and then responded, "You did so to save his life. The good in him was dying. The good in him who loves you and I know that no matter what's happened between you over the years, he loves you more than anything else. Including his power. And now he can prove that to you because the darkness is no longer in him to tempt him to make the wrong choices."

She smiled at her grandson and replied, "Thank you, Henry. By the way, what do two people going out on a date for the first time do? Rumple and I may be married, but… we never really dated. I mean… I was his prisoner and maid for several years. Our romance was hardly normal. Then after the curse was broken, our relationship was still…"

"Rocky and maybe a little crazy?" the teenager finished for her. "Don't worry. You're going to be just fine. What are you planning for your first date?"

"Just dinner at Granny's," Belle answered again. "We're going for burgers. Now that I think about it, we might have gone out on a few dates. Everything still just feels brand new."

Henry reached out and laid his hand over hers, then he responded, "You should try going someplace else for dinner instead of Granny's. Make it a more romantic setting. You should go to Tony's instead. It was where Killian… where Killian took my mom… on their first date. I'm sorry. Maybe that might not be the best idea after all."

The beauty saw the sadness come to the boy's eyes at the mention of Killian and realized then what was troubling him, then she reached up to rub his back in comfort while she spoke sympathetically saying, "I'm so sorry, Henry. I should have let you explain why you're out here at this hour first. Killian's going to be alright you know. Your mother won't ever stop fighting for him."

"I know that," he retorted in frustration, then stood up again and began to poke at the fire with a stick he picked up from the ground nearby. "That's what everyone's been telling me. But you weren't there, Belle. You didn't watch Killian die. But I did and now I'm seeing it in my dreams too. I'm here tonight because I can't sleep without watching Dark Hook kill Killian. But instead of it happening in Camelot, it was right here in this spot."

"I'm not sure I understand," she replied in confusion.

Henry let out a sigh and then he answered, "Tonight, I started dreaming of one of my favorite memories I have of Killian, when he taught me right here all about the stars and how to navigate with them, as well as about sailing. Back when I didn't have any of my memories of anyone here just after Mom and I came home from New York. Everything seemed fine, until suddenly my dream changed and the version of Killian who became the Dark One appeared too and he and Killian began to swordfight because he was protecting me. They fought, then while I watched, the Dark One killed Killian right in front of me all over again. Thrust the dagger into Killian's stomach, just how Killian killed himself in order to protect us from himself. This nightmare was like a metaphor for what really happened and it was terrifying. I've known people who've died, like my dad, like Graham… I've been to their funerals, I've grieved for them. But I've never seen anyone die. Especially not like that."

Belle pulled him into a hug and held him while neither of them spoke for awhile, until he finally pulled away from her, then she said quietly, "In the morning, you should go and speak with Archie. Share your dream with him. If anyone can help you through this pain, he can. But in case you would like to talk with anyone else about it too, I'll always be here for you too."

"Thank you, Belle," Henry whispered. "For being here."

"You're welcome," the beauty responded to him in return, then finally they just continued to sit together while they looked up at the stars and Henry began to teach her of the constellations just like Killian did for him.


	26. Chapter 26

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Twenty-Six

Emma and the others couldn't help but stare at the woman whom Liam just called 'Mother' in shock. Not because they were surprised the two brothers actually had a mother like everyone else, but because getting a chance to meet her, and in the Underworld of all places, was completely unexpected. Killian had barely begun to talk about his father only when his past had come back to haunt him the moment the heroes met Merlin in Camelot. However, he never once mentioned his mother. Emma just assumed she had died when Killian was very young, on account that she hadn't been around to keep his father from forcing him and his brother into a life of servitude.

"Liam?" the woman whispered with concern in her voice while she continued to look between him and the strangers with her son in worry. "I thought I warned you of the dangers of bringing those rebel friends of yours here. You promised me you were no longer helping them."

"I know I did, but they're not rebels," the older Jones brother answered quietly, then shrugged. "At least not all of them are. Listen… we really need you to let us in and trust me you're going to want to. We have a severely wounded man with us and Mother… it's… it's Killian."

Upon hearing her youngest son's name, their mother immediately opened the door wide as she uttered, "Your brother? He's here?"

Liam walked in as he pulled her aside with him so that Emma and David could enter along with the others, then guided the Savior and her father towards the closest bed on the main floor of the cottage where they could lay Killian down on while he responded, "He is. But he was tortured by Hades and the bastard who kept him and me as his slaves after our father sold us to him. Thankfully, Killian was able to find an amazing woman who loves him enough to risk her life by coming down here to save him."

Once Emma and David laid Killian down, the Prince stood straight again and backed away while the Savior remained sitting on the bed at his side while she took his only hand into her own, then gently laid her free hand over his chest in an attempt to use her power to heal his wounds. Unfortunately, the spell Hades had told her he cast over Killian was put in place to keep her from doing so. Not just to prevent her from using a traditional locator spell to find him. It also meant that Regina's or Tinker Bell's magic wouldn't be able to heal him either.

"So, this… this in my youngest son?" the brothers' mother whispered again when she slowly approached the other side of the bed where David had moved away from, then she nervously reached her hand out to caress the left side of Killian's cheek until she swiftly pulled away as she suddenly became afraid to touch him. "I died when he was still very, very young. A baby. He wouldn't remember me."

"He remembers the lullaby you used to sing to us," the older Jones replied quietly. "He told me so."

She glanced over at her oldest until she turned back to Killian again with fear in her eyes as she continued, "I couldn't wait for the day when my boys would both arrive here, so I would get to see the men they had become. Only now… I never wished for this. You said Hades did this to my boy?"

Emma finally spoke up coldly saying, "Yes, ma'am. He did."

"Then he will surely somehow get what's coming to him," the other woman answered when her eyes suddenly grew dark and angry.

"Uh… Mother, this is Emma Swan… the woman Killian fell in love with," Liam uttered then in order to try to change the gloom that had fallen over the room, then he also began to introduce his mother to the others. "And these are his friends… David, August, Smee, Tinker Bell, Regina, Robin, Leroy, Graham, and his friend…"

Graham took the hand of the woman standing beside him and finished for him, "Lila."

Liam nodded and then added, "And Lila. They've all risked their lives to save Killian."

"I am happy to meet each of you," she responded despondently. "I'm Alice. I'm going to go out to get some water from the brook, so we can do our best to clean my son up. If you'll excuse me…"

"Thank you!" Emma quickly called out to her as Alice turned and left the cottage without another word.

While the Savior turned back to Killian again and carefully lifted his upper body up against her chest again so she could remove the rags the deity had changed him into to humiliate him more, leaving him in his undergarments he still wore, David looked over at the older Jones again as he stated, "Your mother seems like a really great woman. I'm sorry we had to meet under these circumstances."

Liam simply nodded and stepped away, then returned a few minutes later with clean cloths they could use to wash his body down with to remove the blood and grime that covered him. Emma took them from him and muttered her gratitude, then she took a moment to remove her jacket before she continued with as much as she could until Alice returned with the water.

Everyone else walked away to leave Emma alone with the man she loved while she started to take care of him except for David, though Liam turned back to them and then he asked somberly, "What can I do to help him?"

"You're doing it," the Savior replied with sincerity when she turned her head to look over at him once more. "You found us someplace safe where we can take care of him and when he wakes up, we'll be able to begin trying to help him know how much he's loved. He will also finally be reunited with his mother again too."

"Emma… Tink and I will take care of the protection spell so Hades or anyone else won't be able to break in here," Regina said, and the blonde haired woman nodded, then the two women raised their hands and began to emit their powers to cast another spell created from light magic.

Emma gently rested Killian back down against the mattress and pillows, then laid her hand against the side of his face while she tenderly began to caress his cheek again, until he weakly began to stir beneath her touch. However, when he didn't open his eyes, she knew his movement wasn't because he was awakening, but because of how much pain he was in. Her fear was only confirmed when he began to cough while blood slowly began to trickle out from one of the corners of his mouth, and she could feel his body trembling beneath her other hand she kept firmly over his chest.

Regina walked back over to the bed and stood over her friends as she looked down at them, then without meaning to be so callous she whispered, "God, he looks awful. If he wasn't already dead, I'd say we wouldn't be in time to save him."

Emma glared up at her while she retorted brusquely, "He isn't dead! I mean… He is dead. But we were in time to save him from becoming another of Hades' mindless souls floating around in that green river. And I won't ever stop fighting to bring the man I love back to me no matter how long it takes. We just need to get him home and bring him back to life first."

"You're right," her friend answered gently. "You're right, and I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say what I said… how it sounded. I'm not so great with sympathy. You know that. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No," the Savior responded when her eyes softened. "Thank you, Regina. All of you should try to get some rest. We haven't gotten any sleep in days. Not really. I've been forcing all of you to go non-stop trying to help me to save Killian… that I haven't thought of how exhausted you all must be."

David reached out to lay his hand over one of hers that remained resting on Killian's chest and then replied, "How many times are we going to have to remind you that you haven't forced any of us to do anything? The truth is, we've all gotten much more sleep than either you or Hook have. We slept the night before we came down here and most of the next day really because we knew what we were in for. About as much as we really could know that is."

Emma shook her head in frustration and pulled her hand out from under his, then looked down at Killian's face again as tears began to fall once more while she spoke sadly saying, "I'm not sure there's anything you can say that'll offer me the comfort I need right now. Only Killian can do that and even if and when he wakes up, he won't be the man I know him to be. The man who always knows the right words to say to make me smile. To make me laugh, or to make me feel like everything will always be all right so long as we're together. You know what it feels like to have someone in your life who can make you feel all of that, Dad. You have Mom. Just like Regina, you have Robin and even Rumplestiltskin has Belle. If I can't bring Killian back…"

"Hey, hey… Don't lose hope, Emma," her father quickly answered when he reached out to caress her cheek. "Hook needs you to hold onto every ounce of hope you possess if he's going to pull through this. And he will. Because none of us are going to give up on him. Ever since Hook came into our lives a few years ago, I couldn't ever see him as anything more than a pirate even after he started to change for the better. And the truth is, I didn't want to see anything more because I was a… a 'stubborn ass' just like he once called me while we were in Neverland. But he has changed and has become a man whom I'm proud to see in my daughter's life. No one could ever treat you better, or just as you deserved to be treated than he can. And I'll admit, he's kind of grown on me a bit. Hook has a strange way of affecting people like that, as you've come to know for yourself. Just don't ever tell him I said so, or I'll never hear the end of it."

"Thank you, Dad," she responded sincerely and then reached across the man she loved so she could pull her father into an embrace.

Once Emma pulled away from him again to return her attention on Killian, it was then that Alice walked over to stand above her son and those sitting with him on the bed, having heard most of the words shared between father and daughter, and stated softly, "I'm so happy to see that what Liam said is true. You really do love my youngest, don't you? Emma… is it?"

The Savior looked up at the stranger who was Killian's mother and nodded as she slowly rose to her feet so that they were standing face to face while Alice handed her the flask made of deer skin she used to gather the water from the brook in, then Emma steadfastly replied, "I really do. More than I've ever loved anyone before or could ever possibly love again. I was born from the true love my parents possess for one another and truthfully, I never believed it was something I would ever find. Honestly, I'm not sure that the love Killian and I share is true love or not either, but whether it is or it isn't… it feels like it to me, just as I know it feels like true love for him too. A short time ago, Killian admitted to me that I was his happy ending even when he was afraid he was going to lose me. Well… he's my happy ending too. That's why I'm here. I won't leave him to suffer, I promise you. And I promise to let him know as such, as soon as he finds his way back to me."

"I believe you," the other woman said again and then gently pulled Emma into a hug by way of showing her gratitude. "Thank you, Emma. All of you… thank you."

"You're welcome," the Savior whispered sadly. "Your son makes it easy for me to love him."

Everyone among the scene before them looked on with a feeling of happiness for their Savior and the pirate captain fighting for his life, and yet sorrow as well because succeeding in their goal to save Hook from death itself was an impossible task never before achieved as far as anyone knew.

However, Liam looked on with a different feeling he was ashamed for. A feeling of disappointment and even anger because he knew that his own unfinished business and the reason why he had been trapped within the Underworld all these years was in waiting for his brother to join him so he would have the chance to apologize for his greatest mistake, as well as for when the time would come for them to move on from this world together.

When he realized that those surrounding him might be able to see these feelings on his face, the older Jones finally walked towards the door and stepped outside to be alone. No one inside the cottage noticed his change in demeanor, or even that Liam had walked out except for Tinker Bell and while she didn't know his reasons for feeling anything other than what the rest of them were feeling, she knew something was very wrong with Liam and she was determined to find out what.

Little did he or the heroes know, that Alice Jones had a dark secret of her own. A few secrets. One which had led to the reasons why she had become doomed to live her afterlife within the Underworld, and another which she feared her two boys would come to hate her for as much as they hated their father if they ever found out the truth.


	27. Chapter 27

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Once Hades finished restoring his throne room and all of his stolen possessions to their proper state as they were before the assault on his lair, the God vanished and reappeared upon the platform above the green river where he had left Captain Hook to suffer his fate. However, when he arrived, Hades discovered the chain that had once been wrapped around his prisoner was no longer dangling through the opening of the metal platform as it should have been had Hook become another of his lost souls, but set aside as it rested above it.

Hades could sense the cavern had been invaded. His suspicions were then confirmed when a gleam by his feet caught his eye as the fires lit up throughout the cavern and shined down on something gold left behind on the platform as the light reflected off the metal, which he knelt down to pick up, discovering it was a badge with the words, _Sheriff's Department_ engraved around an image of a tree. Hades knew then that the Savior and her family of do gooders had saved the pirate while the band of rebels distracted him so they could.

Hades grumbled to himself saying darkly, "So… she has her pirate back…"

The ruler of the Underworld lifted his free hand while he kept a tight hold of the badge and summoned himself a crystal ball, then used his power to conjure up the moments of Hook's rescue in order to see how the heroes had managed to outwit him so they could save the man loved by the Savior. Once the images appeared within the orb, Hades watched on as Emma finally arrived within the cavern and froze when the rock path beneath her feet suddenly ended where the River of Lost Souls flowed blow.

A short time ago…

However, she immediately looked ahead of her in horror when her eyes at last truly fell on the pirate captain, as Killian hung down over the rounded platform above the river from a heavy, rusted old chain wrapped tightly around his body, which suddenly lowered him another drop with a booming squeal of the gears working to do so.

David ran out from the tunnel and remained behind her along with a few of the other heroes with her just as Emma fearfully screamed, "Killian!"

"Be careful," David firmly warned his daughter when she looked around for a way across to the platform and quickly started to walk across one of the narrow beams that led to the platform without hesitation, just as the chain lowered Killian again another inch. "God… there's not much time left."

 _"Hang on!" Emma shouted out to Killian even though it was clear to her and the others that he wasn't conscious to know they were even there for him. "I'm coming for you!"_

Emma continued to cross uneasily, breathing heavily as she concentrated on remaining as balanced as she could, until she suddenly stumbled and almost fell. It was then that David quickly stepped out onto the beam as well to follow his daughter so he'd be able to help her save Killian once they reached him, while Tinker Bell flew out between her friends to be ready to catch them should either of them fall, her fairy dust she had spread over them having already worn off.

Liam started to walk towards the beam to join them, but August laid his hand over the older Jones' shoulder and held him back knowing that right then he would only be a hindrance to the others until they came back should the beam and the platform across from them not be sturdy enough to hold them all up.

The Savior was able to regain her balance and she kept moving forward until at last she finally reached the platform, then just as Killian was about to fall into the water barely beneath his feet, Emma swiftly grabbed ahold of him and struggled to pull him back from within the opening in the platform. Her father wasn't far behind her and David joined her in pulling Killian to safety, then gently laid him down against the metal beneath them. The Green Fairy hovered above them as she looked down on her friends with worry.

Emma gently lifted Killian's upper body up against her and held him close as she began to cry, until she whispered softly, "I've got you. I'm here, Killian. We all are."

David laid his hand down on her shoulder and then uttered quietly, "We need to get out of here. Let's get this chain off of him."

Hades continued to watch as the two of them worked together to unravel the chain from around the God's prisoner and finally Hook was freed, then both Emma and David pulled the unconscious and seriously wounded man between them as they rose back to their feet. Tink conjured up just enough of her magic to disperse fairy dust over their heads and they flew with Killian back to the others who were patiently waiting for them on the cliff's ledge. Liam took David's place at his brother's side as he carefully wrapped Killian's left arm across his shoulders and Emma did the same with his right arm despite the chains and shackles he still wore, while everyone returned through the tunnel again to rejoin the rest of their friends waiting for them on the other side.

Once the moments of the rescue ended…

The deity used his power to make the images change within the orb again in an effort to seek out where the heroes ran to try to hide themselves from him so they could help the prisoner who rightfully belonged to him. However, light magic put up in place to protect them blocked the God from being able to find them and Hades suddenly threw the crystal against the stone wall in front of him in anger as the orb shattered against the rocks.

Hades seethed through his teeth, then once he finally thought of what he was going to do about their uprising against him, he summoned the furies under his control to him and ordered them to fly throughout the Underworld to find wherever the heroes ran to, as well as to find the hunter and witch who had escaped from his wrath after their attack on his lair.

"Your furies may be able to cover a lot of ground, but they're not the only ones who can help you find them," Pan said from behind Hades when the villain from Neverland entered the cavern and stood on the cliff beyond the platform. "Even here in the Underworld, they can be killed should they be caught spying on these heroes. But I can't be… unless of course by your hand."

"If I thought you could be of use to me, I would have come to find you," Hades coldly responded when he turned around to face the demon. "Why are you here?"

Pan flew across the river and landed in front of the deity on the platform, then replied, "I had hoped to see one of my oldest enemies suffer the fate he deserves. Unfortunately, I was held up and so I arrived too late. However, I was as surprised as you were to find that Hook was saved by the Savior and the others who came with her. I will help you to find them before your creatures. I have a few ideas where they might have gone."

The God began to walk along the circle they stood on while he asked, "If I were to say yes, what should I expect to pay you in return?"

"If I bring Hook back so you can continue with his punishment and make Emma pay, I want passage from this world back to the land of the living," Peter smugly answered him. "I can do it."

"Then I won't be needing your help," Hades responded cruelly, then used his power to wrap the chain that once held Hook above the river below them around the boy before him and raised him up until Pan hung there instead.

Pan cried out angrily, "What are you doing?! You can't do this!"

The deity glared up at him while he darkly replied, "Actually… I can. No one attempts to make a deal with me acting like their services are deserving of a new life among the land of the living. If you don't want to wind up a mindless husk like your old enemy will once he's found and brought back to me, I suggest you go out like my furies to search for the heroes. If you should find them, you will only report back to me. Is this understood?"

"Yes… Lord Hades," the demon child answered fearfully.

"Don't disappoint me," Hades stated firmly, then swiftly released Pan before he finally vanished from the cavern.


	28. Chapter 28

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Twenty-Eight

In Storybrooke once more…

After he finished talking with Belle when she finally told him it was time she returned home, Henry walked her back as far as he could until they split off in opposite directions, then slowly walked again through town on his way back to the loft while he kept his head down and his eyes on the street in front of him. However, because he wasn't really paying attention to his surroundings, the teenager was startled when he suddenly ran into Archie and Pongo while the doctor was locking up his office with a few case files in his hands.

The psychiatrist turned to the boy he'd been seeing since Henry was nine years old in surprise as he questioned, "Henry… What brings you out walking all alone at this hour in the morning?"

The thirteen year old knelt down in front of the dalmatian and pet him gently, then looked up at his friend while he replied, "It looks like I'm not the only one out at this hour. I'm guessing you were having trouble sleeping too?"

"You're right," Archie responded when Henry stood straight again and slowly began to walk alongside him while they headed in the direction of their apartments. "How about you tell me what's troubling you and I'll do the same. Although… I suspect our reasons are pretty similar."

"Did you come out here to your office because you were terrified by a nightmare you're afraid you won't be able to just shake off?" Henry asked him brusquely, then let out a sigh in frustration before he apologized. "I'm sorry, Archie. I didn't mean to snap at you. Honestly, I'm pretty sure I'll be fine now. We're not the only ones awake right now. I just finished talking with Belle down on the beach, as well as Grandma. I'm feeling better."

The doctor looked over at him as he answered, "If that were true, you wouldn't have snapped at me just now. And as your therapist, I know you well enough to know you're not."

The teenager chortled and then replied, "You're right. And you know, it's funny… Belle actually suggested I come by to see you and the truth is, I was going to. But I was going to wait until morning at least. I'm sorry to be troubling you tonight, Archie."

"Don't apologize," Dr. Hopper responded sincerely. "I told you years ago that you could come to see me any time day or night if you needed to. Besides, a conscience never sleeps and neither do the crickets. As you can hear."

"I tried going to bed earlier tonight," Henry began quietly after he and Archie took a few moments to listen to the crickets chirping around them. "But I wasn't asleep for more than an hour or so before I started dreaming. And it was great at first. Until it wasn't."

Archie nodded as he seemed to understand and then stated, "I'm guessing this dream you had was about Killian?"

The thirteen year old sighed again somberly, then he answered, "I was dreaming about the time Killian first began to teach me about sailing and how to navigate using the stars just after my dad died. But then it changed. In my dream we were interrupted by Dark Hook. You know… the version of him that was the Dark One Killian became after… Well you know about the rest of what happened because you were there, which I suspect is why you can't sleep either."

"The truth is, I haven't tried yet," the man of conscience replied in frustration. "I was talking with Geppetto who offered me some comfort. It's just that, well… I don't know really. I guess what bothers me the most is that Killian lost himself to that darkness when he sacrificed the good in him in order to save my life after Arthur shot me. Although, I'm also ashamed because my first thought once he did become that… was of fear. I was afraid of him and I shouldn't have been. I haven't admitted that confession out loud to anyone yet."

"We're supposed to be afraid of the Dark One," Henry responded to him with compassion. "The Dark One is pure evil, but it was the power you were afraid of, Archie. Not Killian. I'm sure he would be more understanding of that than anyone. As for everything else that's troubling you… Killian sacrificing the good in him… your fear that you've somehow still failed him… None of it is your fault, just as none of it's mine or my mom's either, nor anyone else's. I know my saying so, just like my mom and Marco no doubt tried to tell you so too doesn't really help you to stop feeling terrible…"

Archie quickly cut in as he corrected the boy by saying, "Actually, it really does help more than you realize. The more those I care about try to tell me that I'm not to blame for anything, the more I feel reassured by their comforting words. Thank you for that, Henry. But we haven't finished with you yet. Please… continue telling me about your dream. What happened after the Dark One appeared in front of you? Was Killian still there too, or did he just become the Dark One?"

When they realized they had come to the apartment building where the teenager lived with his mom and grandparents, Henry sat down on the curb and began to pet Pongo again while Archie sat down beside him, then he continued, "Killian was still there and his dark self stood in front of us with a cruel smile on his face. Killian tried to protect me and told me to run to find Mom so I could warn her of a danger greater than Zelena. But I was confused because the me in my dream didn't have any memories of magic or of who anyone who lived here really were. Yet once I fell out of my fear, I realized I still couldn't move and I was forced to watch the Dark One fight Killian as they fought with their swords. Killian was holding his own for awhile, until the monster knocked him off his feet and into the campfire we lit up on the beach behind him. His hand became burned so badly that Killian could barely keep hold of the sword, then while I stood frozen before them, I watched as the Dark One forced his cutlass to Killian's throat, transformed his hook into a left hand, then pulled out a replica of the dagger as he knelt down over Killian and finally ran him through with it. Just like Killian did to himself in Camelot, not just to protect us all, but because he couldn't live with himself any longer."

"I know that this dream was only my own fears manifesting themselves just to scare me and that what I saw in it wasn't real, but it was, Archie," he added curtly before the doctor could say anything. "What really happened didn't happen the way I saw in this nightmare, but it was real and Killian's suffering even more right now as we're talking. I can't sleep, because I don't want to take the chance that I'll start dreaming of him down in the Underworld. I should have gone with my family to help save him. If I had, I wouldn't be having nightmares. I'd be doing something to help them save him instead."

"So that's what this is really all about then," the cricket finally said after he had listened to his youngest patient. "You're blaming yourself because you don't think you're helping Killian while you remain up here in Storybrooke, safe from the evils your family are facing now to save the man you see as a father to you from his suffering. But the truth is you're wrong, Henry. You are helping him by staying safe. He gave his life to make sure that you remained so. More than that… you're holding on to the belief that your family will succeed in saving him, just like all of them saved you from Neverland. And that never-ending belief goes a long way in giving them and Killian the strength and drive they need to make it back home. There's a reason why you have the heart of the truest believer. It makes you powerful."

Henry looked over at the man of conscience still sitting beside him again and then smiled while he said quietly, "Thank you for your advice. And you're right. But I'm not sure that's going to help me with my nightmares. I can't watch him die again. And I can't watch anyone else die either should this nightmare turn into something worse. What can I do to prevent them that won't involve not sleeping? Because I know I can't keep that up forever either."

Archie thought for a few moments, then laid his hand down over the boy's shoulders and answered, "Just take each night as they come. Throughout the day, do the best you can to surround yourself with positivity. Remember the adventures you've gone on together. Think of the positive memories you have with Killian, especially the ones that mean the most to you, like the one from your dream before it became your nightmare. Remember why the times you've shared together is so important to you. If you can do that, this assurance should outweigh your fears. And if that doesn't work, come back and see me again. I could prescribe you something that might help you to sleep. I just don't think that'll be necessary. Everything's going to be all right, Henry."

"Thank you again," the teenager stated to him sincerely.

"You're welcome," his therapist whispered and helped his patient to stand again so Henry could get inside before Mary Margaret began to worry even more than she already was.


	29. Chapter 29

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Meanwhile, back down within the Underworld…

Tinker Bell followed Liam outside once he left the cottage, as well as the safety of the protections put in place by her and Regina, then watched as the older Jones walked down to the brook and finally sat down on the ground under a nearby tree. While the Green Fairy suspected Killian's brother was hiding something from the guilt she saw on his face, she also knew he was hurting as well. Hurting because his younger brother had suffered greatly by Hades' hands, but also because he too had been living here within this hellish world for over two hundred years waiting for his brother to join him again.

So, instead of being so quick to jump on him about what he might be up to, Tink quietly walked up behind Liam and finally took a seat on the ground beside him while she asked him gently, "I realize this will sound like a silly question to you, but… how are you feeling?"

To her surprise, Liam just laughed, until he turned his head to look over at the fairy now beside him and then he answered, "You're right. It is a silly question. But it's the right question to ask under these circumstances. If I'm being completely honest, I'm not alright. Not at all. My little brother… My God, Killian's hardly little any longer and yet old habits keep me from calling him anything else. He's lived over two hundred years fighting against his demons and the darkness that's plagued him since our father abandoned us all those years ago. And when he's finally found the peace and happiness I always hoped for him… this had to happen. I fought so hard to keep Killian alive when we were slaves under Silver's thumb. He was always getting himself into trouble and while I don't believe he did so because he consciously wanted to die, I feared he was going to get himself killed. He's hated himself for so long and now… now here we are because consciously he did finally give up on himself. I know that there were other reasons for him taking his life that included protecting all of you, especially the woman he loves and I couldn't be more proud of him for that. It's just… Well, you've seen him. Look at what's happened to him."

"Yes… I've seen him," Tink replied to him sadly. "And if anyone can help him through the anguish Killian's suffered by Hades' hands, by the hands of the King who forced him to become the Dark One against your brother's will, and because of the vile darkness which had corrupted the good man and hero he's become for all of us and fought to become again in the end… it's Emma. You have to believe in her, Liam. Not just because she is the Savior, but because Killian has always believed her to be his and she has been. She brought him out of the darkness he suffered from since he was that scared boy and man you spoke of just now. His strength and her belief that he could be a good man allowed for him to become a hero like the rest of those who've come down here for him. You can't be selfish and be angry with Emma for wanting to fight for him so he can come home with us. Without her, your brother won't be able to move on with you either. You said it yourself… you can see that he's had a chance to live the life he deserves to live. A life filled with peace and happiness. Can't you understand how important it is for you to give him that chance again?"

"I do know how important it is," he responded quietly, then turned back to face the water flowing before them. "I want Killian to finally be happy and if a life with Emma is what he truly wants, then I won't do anything to stand in your way to bring him back with you. How long have you known my brother?"

The Green Fairy smiled and then answered, "Actually… I've known him a bit longer than even the others have, including Emma. She just knows Killian better than anyone else because they've been through so much together and they're in love. But I met him in Neverland actually. Back while he was still the villain he used to be. We didn't associate all that much because… Well, because he was a pirate and the truth is that I hated him because as Captain Hook, he cared only about himself and getting his revenge on the monster who was the cause of his suffering in the centuries he lived that life. Yet underneath his selfishness and cruelty, I could also see there was more to him. And he also believed in good form, which allowed for him to save my life once when I had almost gotten myself killed by Pan shortly after I fought to escape from that boy's own cruelty. I will always be grateful to your brother for that."

Liam nodded, then he replied, "He's certainly a better man than he could ever give himself credit for. Thank you for sharing that with me. Tinker Bell, is it?"

"It is," she responded, then she turned her head to look over at the older Jones once again and still saw the guilt he was holding inside of him. "There's something else that's troubling you though. Isn't there? Whatever it is, you can tell me."

"I fear there's more to my coming out here to be alone than just trying to come to terms with having to say goodbye to Killian," he answered her in worry before rising back to his feet again while she followed suit. "Hades isn't the only one who has tortured Killian since he's been down here."

The fairy quickly stated, "Yes… we know about the other pirate captain who was the villain who forced you and Killian to be his slaves. Emma told us about him."

Killian's brother breathed in and out when his guilt deepened, then despondently he finally continued, "Captain Silver was always a cruel man, who relished in the pleasure he got when he tormented and tortured my brother and me. Especially Killian. However, I'm afraid his reasons for having tortured him after Killian arrived here in the Underworld… It's my fault and Hades knows it. And I've no doubt that he's told Silver of what I did all those years ago. Killian too. Just to hurt my brother even more than he already has."

"What did you do?" Tinker Bell asked him nervously.

"The only reason why Killian and I were both able to break free from slavery was because Silver and the rest of his crew were all killed in a deadly storm which that pirate was sailing us all into seeking a precious jewel wanted by the King of our land known as the Eye of the Storm," Liam replied curtly. "Killian and I both survived, but it wasn't because we were fortunate. Nor was us gaining our prestigious livings within the Royal Navy as we rose up to become Captain and Lieutenant, although Killian certainly did earn the respect he had been awarded. My point is… The night of that storm, I encouraged my brother to help me to elicit a mutiny against Silver when we knew we would all be killed going into the storm head on for his fame and glory. Most of the crew sided with us too. But what Killian never knew was that when I was alone within the Captain's quarters trying to map us a way out of the storm, Hades appeared to me and offered me a deal. A deal that would ensure mine and Killian's safety, as well as the fame and glory I myself had sought for many years. The worst of it though, is that Hades asked for the souls of the rest of the men onboard the ship that night and I accepted his deal. Silver and his crew are all trapped down here because of me. And Killian's suffering for it instead of me."

She looked at him with a hint of disappointment until her face softened, then Tink responded gently, "Maybe so, but what they've done to your brother isn't just because of what you've done. They were cruel men before you made that deal and Hades manipulated you. He played on your weaknesses like he does with everyone else. Surely Killian will understand and forgive you. He loves you so much Liam."

The older Jones shook his head in frustration, then crossly answered, "Yes… but Killian has also always seen me as the perfect brother and held me to that high standard, especially after our father abandoned us. And while I never wanted it and hated it, I fought hard to remain that perfect example for him. If Killian does find out the truth of what I've done… that I wasn't the perfect example he believed I was, if he hasn't already, he'll only see himself a failure even more so than he already does and it will make his recovery that much harder."

"I think you need to have faith in his capacity to forgive," Tink replied again with sincerity, which Liam could see then in her eyes and hear in her voice. "He's forgiven the Dark One… at least the monster your brother sought revenge against for centuries, enough to let go of that lust for revenge and became a hero. He and Rumplestiltskin certainly aren't friends and there's still much hate between them, but his yearning to destroy the villain no longer haunts Killian. All that does now is the hate he has for himself. And he needs you to help him as much as he needs Emma. You've got to pull yourself together and be the brother he needs you to be right now, then we can help you to ease your guilt later. Do you understand?"

"I do," he responded when Liam reached out his hand in gratitude to shake hers. "And you're right. Thank you, Tinker Bell. I am glad you could see through the shame I was trying to hide. Let's get back inside to help Emma and our mother."

At last, they returned inside the cottage to rejoin their friends. Unfortunately, neither of them noticed they were being watched from the trees just beyond the clearing where the cottage stood, but once they disappeared from his sight, Pan stepped out a few feet away from the tree he had hid himself behind while he spied on those Hades had enlisted him to find for him, then finally flew away to inform the God that he had.


	30. Chapter 30

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Thirty

Alice stepped away from the bed in order to get a basin for the water she drew from the brook and then Emma sat down again beside Killian as she reached down to take his hand in her own, while David carefully lifted his friend's left arm so he could get a closer look at the shackles to see how to go about freeing him from them. They were about as rusted as the heavy chain wrapped around Hook to hang him above the green river in the cavern the heroes had rescued him from was. However, the sheriff knew it was going to take more than brute strength to get them off without a key.

Robin joined David as he bent down to observe the shackles as well, knowing that magic wouldn't be able to help them whether it was from Emma, Regina, Lila, or Tink because of Hades' spell. Thankfully, the archer had another idea and Graham had the gunpowder in his coat they needed, then pulled it out when Robin suggested they use the powder to burn through the locks within the shackles.

"We may not be able to use magic to simply break the shackles, but I can enchant the gunpowder instead, so it will burn through the locks without causing him anymore pain," Lila said quietly when she took the pouch containing the explosive mixture from the hunter she loved and emitted her magic over the powder, inserted the particles inside the locks over Killian's arms and his ankles, then everyone waited patiently for the shackles to break. "Your friend has already suffered far too much."

"Thank you," the Savior stated to both Lila and their old friend in sincerity for their help once the restraints finally fell loose and clanked to the floor, then bent down to pick up the chains until Graham took them from her.

Emma looked into the Huntsman's eyes as he did so, then suddenly wrapped her arms around him in a firm embrace and kissed his cheek before she finally whispered, "It's so good to see you again. I just wish…"

He cut her off as he responded, "You have no need to apologize to me. Neither you, nor Regina either."

"You've become a hero as much as those you've come down here with, Regina," the hunter continued when he released his former deputy and then turned around to face the woman who had murdered him a few years back, while she stared at him with surprise as he spoke. "I can see that you have. Why else would you be here if you haven't? The Evil Queen you used to be didn't feel anything. Yet you feel remorse. I can see in your eyes. And the truth is… I forgave you a long time ago. So, let go of your guilt. I'm alright again. I've found love, despite being trapped in this Hell."

"I'm happy for you, Graham," the Queen answered sincerely as she looked between him and Lila when he took the woman's hand within his own, then Graham reached out to wipe away a tear in Regina's eye before it could fall. "And thank you. For your forgiveness."

Emma smiled, as she was happy for her two friends were able to find peace between one another after the tragedy that had occurred two years ago, then she returned to Killian's side once again and finally focused on his body which was coated in his blood because of the torture inflicted upon him. However, when she found the courage to look closer, beneath the sickening red substance, she could see several wounds that included a deep hole within his upper left shoulder inches away from his neck and one clean through his lower right side she knew had been inflicted on him by his own hook before Hades delivered it to her, as well as the multitudes of lashes, cuts, burns, and the least of it all… the bruises which covered him.

Emma's eyes grew cold the longer she stared down on the suffering the man she loved had been forced to endure and while she still blamed herself for Killian's death, for the first time since she lost him, the Savior finally put the blame where it truly belonged… on Hades, Captain Silver, and on any of the other souls working under the God's orders.

David could see the anger that came across his daughter's face and could sense what she was thinking, so he reached across the man lying between them to take her hand, then he spoke quietly in an effort to calm her saying, "Emma… while I'm glad to see that your finally putting the blame for Hook's suffering on who it really belongs, you need to push your anger deep down and focus on healing Hook. You may not be able to use your magic to do it, but you have two hands, you have your love for him, and you have the determination to keep fighting for him."

The Savior softened her countenance and nodded when she realized she had allowed herself to fall again into the dark place she's been afraid to admit to herself she had, then turned back to Killian while she laid her hand against the side of his head to run her fingers through his thick disheveled hair, as she waited for his mother to return to them with the basin she needed to pour the water into so Emma could begin to wash his body.

Within a few minutes, Alice returned again and set the basin down at the bottom of the bed between the woman who loved her son and her father, who then stood up from the chair which had been placed there for him and stepped aside so his friend's mother could take his place beside her son to help Emma care for him.

She nodded her gratitude to the Prince who smiled back at her, then he walked over to join the rest of their friends who had made themselves as comfortable as they could within the room opposite of where Hook was being cared for. There was a couch and a few chairs, but not enough for the number of friends there for Hook and Emma, so a few of them sat on the floor even though they had been told there were more chairs and a few beds upstairs where they could all get some rest and make themselves more comfortable. However, everyone simply preferred to remain together for now.

Alice picked up the deer skin flask containing the water she had given to Emma earlier and carefully poured the water into the basin, while the Savior took one of the fresh cloths given to her by Liam earlier as well, then soaked it before finally laying the wet cloth over Killian's chest to begin to wipe away his blood.

Alice did the same while she began to wipe away the blood coating her son's leg, then she finally broke the silence that had filled the room as she said quietly, "I have more water heating up over the fire I started in the hearth that we'll be able to use to help bring down his fever. It will be better than the cold water. The heat will be more soothing than the cold will be."

"Thank you," Emma replied gently, then took a few minutes to think about how to word the questions on her mind regarding the woman sitting across from her, whom Killian couldn't tell her anything about on account of Alice having died before he had known her at all himself.

"Whatever it is you wish to ask me… it's all right to do so," the older woman then stated first upon getting the sense that there were questions lingering on Emma's mind she was a bit nervous to ask her. "It's right that you should learn as much as you can about all those getting involved in trying to save my son. I've no doubt you took some time to question my oldest as well. Is that right?"

Emma nodded and then responded, "Killian has spoken very highly of him, but… the truth is that he has been down here in the Underworld for a long time, as you have. My family and I have only been here over a day and we're all on edge. That mostly has to do with our fight to find Killian and now figuring out how we can save him since we've succeed in that, but surely being trapped down here has changed you. Even if it's mostly just increased your sense of awareness or has made you more skeptical of the people you come to meet. My years of being everyone's Savior have certainly done that to me. Not that I don't love being who I am because I do. That's mostly thanks to Killian. He made me understand the importance of being the Savior and how much I needed and really wanted my family to be a part of my life when I was being stubborn and defiant because of anger, yet mostly fear."

Alice smiled down on her son, then froze when she began to wipe the blood away from his left arm until she came to where his hand and part of his wrist had been cut off as a tear slipped down her cheek, and Emma immediately reached out to take the woman's hand gently in her own while she stated, "Your son's made peace with the loss of his hand. It hasn't been easy for him, but he finally has. He wears a hook in its place and while it's what had given him the moniker he goes by, the villain Captain Hook was isn't who he is anymore. He hasn't been for a long time now. Your son is a good man and a hero to us all. It's why I'm not the only one who has come down here to save him. And his name, Hook… is now said with the highest respect."

"I appreciate that, Miss. Swan," the woman with Killian's hair and eyes, yet Liam's face answered sincerely, then reached up to her cheeks to wipe away the tears that had fallen while Emma spoke before she continued to care for him again. "So… you have questions for me. Ask me whatever's on your mind."

"I suppose my biggest question I have is, did Liam ever tell you about his and Killian's lives as… after their father… after he abandoned them?" the Savior struggled to ask as she kept her eyes down on the man she loved while she worked.

Alice looked into the other room towards her oldest, who had walked back inside along with the Green Fairy a few minutes earlier, then she despondently replied, "He did. It wasn't easy for him, nor was it easy for me to hear. But the despair in Liam's eyes when he told me spoke the most truth behind his words. I loved their father when we were both alive and I never believed Brennan could be capable of abandoning his children, especially not for the sake of his own life. A parent is supposed to sacrifice everything for their children. Had I lived, I would have."

Emma looked towards Liam as well, then turned back to Alice as she questioned, "How did you die? And why are you still here in the Underworld?"

"I became sick when Killian was about to be born," the brothers' mother responded sadly. "It was a mysterious illness which the few healers we could afford to see were unable to diagnose, nor could they do anything to help me. I managed to survive for a few years, but I only continued to worsen until… the disease took my life. As for why I'm still trapped down here in the Underworld… I barely knew my oldest son before I died, but he was six years older than Killian. I was barely able to even hold my youngest because I was so ill on and off. Not knowing who my sons had become broke me. And then Liam died a long time ago and I was finally able to learn of their lives through him. But neither of us knew what came of Killian afterwards until now… thanks to you and your family."

"I'm so sorry," the Savior answered with remorse when she finished, yet Emma suddenly felt a dreaded sense Alice was hiding something while she spoke and that she had even lied about something that wasn't good.

However, before she could ask the older woman about her sudden suspicions, Alice stood again and walked away without another word to her, then David walked over to join his daughter and friend again while he quietly asked, "Is everything all right?"

Emma glanced up at her father when he took a seat across from her, then looked down at Killian again while she stopped her ministrations to take his hand as she also began to caress his cheek, and finally she whispered, "She's lying about something. She's hiding something big, but she walked away before I could question her about it. She said something earlier that I felt a sense of dread from too, but I didn't think much of it until now."

"What were you talking about when you felt this sense before?" her father questioned again to try to help Emma figure out what was wrong.

"Alice said how she couldn't wait for the day when she could see Killian again," the Savior replied quietly, so only David could hear her voice while they talked. "But then… she mentioned Hades and how he was the one who did this to him. Her voice became cold and her face darkened. Something's wrong here, Dad. Whatever it is…"

The Prince quickly finished for her, "Whatever it is, we'll figure it out later. But right now, let's just worry about Hook and about helping him to wake up. I promise, we won't allow whatever this is worrying you to hinder our efforts in helping him. Nothing else either. Would you like me to stay with you? Your mother would be better at this. She always was, but if you'd like…"

Emma shook her head and then spoke again softly saying, "It's okay, Dad. I'm… Thank you, but I think I would rather just stay here with Killian alone for awhile. If, or when he wakes up, it's going to be easier for him to do so, so long as it's just me leaning over him. Besides, you and everyone else should finally try to get some rest like I suggested earlier. This might be the only peace we have until we leave here to make a run for it to get back home. Please. I'll be fine here. I promise to try to get some rest myself too… as soon as I know that Killian is as comfortable as I can make him."

The Prince nodded as he walked around the bed until he stood above his daughter and leaned down to kiss the top of her head while he rested his hand over her shoulder, then he finally walked away to leave Emma alone with Hook. She watched him once he turned away from her to do so, then turned back to Killian and continued to care for him on her own as the man she loved remained unconscious. It took willpower she didn't really feel she had much of right then to keep herself from breaking down, despite how much she wanted to.


	31. Chapter 31

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Thirty-One

Hades sat upon his throne inside his lair waiting for any word from his minions on the heroes' whereabouts, while he fumed over having lost his only real leverage he had against those, whose presence threatened everything he'd spent his entire reign over the Underworld to build. What was worse, was that the deity realized his biggest flaw in attempting to steal the Savior's heart, was in giving into what he believed back then to be her arrogance in claiming she could actually save the man she loved from him, without having to make a deal with him.

Emma had succeeded in saving Killian Jones from the River of Lost Souls and now she had the chance to restore the hope which Hades had worked hard in order to snuff out of the pirate captain. It'd be a daunting task for her, he knew that. However, he also knew Emma to be relentless in fighting for those she loved as well. So, the fact that they were now out there somewhere and hidden from his sight because he knew the Savior had figured out light magic was his one weakness, angered him.

Finally, he was interrupted from his thoughts when another of the souls whom he believed to be loyal to him entered his lair upon receiving his summons for her, then while she approached him, Cora quietly stated, "Forgive me for being late, Lord Hades. I heard you wished to see me. What would you have me do for you?"

The deity looked up at her as he remained seated, then replied, "There are two reasons I wanted to speak with you. First, I hoped you had more news for me on the task I've given you in regard to the rebellion. Several of its members, including one or two of its leaders invaded my throne room this evening, tore it apart before I restored it, stole my own personal boat thanks to some witch… and two of them, including one of the leaders, managed to escape from me. The rest have been dealt with, but I want the others too."

"I'm afraid I cannot help you with finding them anymore than I've been able to do for you so far, Lord Hades," Cora answered him while she stood before the God. "But I can tell you however, that the leader of this band of rebels… his name is Graham Humbert. And he's a huntsman. He was a friend of the Savior's and the rest of those who've come from Storybrooke to rescue Hook."

"I should have known the rebels' attack on my lair was only meant to be a distraction so their friends could save the pirate," Hades responded angrily, then swiftly threw the gold badge he found within the cavern where Hook had been rescued from onto the ground at the sorceress' feet. "Yet I didn't until I found that in my prisoner's place. I'm guessing that Emma lost her sheriff's badge by accident. But it doesn't really matter because now they've all escaped and they're using light magic to keep me from discovering where they're hiding. I'm disappointed that you didn't come to me earlier with this information, Cora. I shouldn't have had to summon you here to get it."

The powerful woman before him bowed her head as she replied, "Forgive me. I was doing all I could… I believe this huntsman of theirs is working with a witch, who goes by the name, Lila. She's powerful in her own right. She must have been the one to steal your boat for him. But the others…"

Hades cut her off as he uttered curtly, "The others aren't important. As I told you, they have been dealt with. My second reason for calling on you, is because I've very recently discovered that you haven't just been working for me to try to find these rebels. You have been talking with your daughter, who has come down with the rest of the heroes. I know that one of my souls has moved on to the worse place thanks to you. I don't care about that. However, I do care that another of my souls… your former husband and the Evil Queen's beloved father, has also moved on, but to a peaceful afterlife because you had to attempt to use him against your daughter. The minute hand of the clock in the clock tower has moved after hundreds of years of it remaining frozen in time, just how I liked it. These heroes are changing things. And your daughter has saved her father first, but the blame for this is yours. Because you had to try to save her. Believe me, I want her gone as much as you do, but now she must pay like the rest of them."

"Please… leave her be," Cora pleaded when she knelt down on her knees and bowed before the cruel God. "I beg you… I can get her to leave. And I can punish the others for you as well. Once I find them…"

"I have others to do that for me," Hades retorted angrily, then finally rose back to his feet and stood above the woman on the ground before him. "And it would seem you've served your purpose. You've failed me for the last time, Cora."

 _He turned away from her when Pan flew in and landed beside the deity's throne, but Hades continued speaking to her while he added, "I'm surprised you care so much about Regina… especially after what you did to your other daughter."_

 _The Queen's mother looked at him in confusion and with fear while she asked, "How do you know about Zelena?"_

 _"Oh… I know about everything," the God answered haughtily when he turned around to face her once more, then reached down to pull the woman back up on her feet so she was standing in front of him, ignoring the boy from Neverland as Pan stood by and listened with a grin on his face. "Including why you gave her up. All so you could claw your way out of a miserable peasant life. Which… suggests the perfect punishment."_

 _"Look at that," Hades said cruelly after he picked up the wine glass he had been drinking from while Cora had entered the lair, then chimed his glass to turn Cora back into the peasant woman she had been many, many years ago. "A miller's daughter once again. Hurry now, Cora. You… you have flour to deliver. That's what they do at mills, isn't it? I never paid much attention. It seems like such dull work."_

 _She gasped in shock and anger upon observing her new appearance upon receiving her punishment for failing him, then cried, "No. No, you… promised you'd save us. Just…"_

 _The God interrupted darkly, "And you promised not to fail. Something to think about for eternity. Bye."_

 _Cora began to sob when she slowly turned around before beginning to push the heavy wheel barrow full of flour which Hades had summoned to go along with her new appearance and then watched her walk away to fulfill her new duties with an amused look upon his face. Once she was gone, he finally turned around to face Pan._

"So… did you figure out where the heroes are hiding?" the deity questioned sternly, then took a sip of his wine before taking a seat again on his throne. "You haven't been out searching for as long as I expected you would be."

"Let's just say, I have my reasons for having kept my eyes on Hook's brother since my arrival here," Peter responded, seeming to be quite impressed with himself. "And I know where they are."


	32. Chapter 32

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Thirty-Two

A few hours passed by and Emma had finally finished her ministrations on Killian the best she was able, then finally just sat beside him as she leaned over him, while she caressed his face and ran her fingers once again through his hair, staring down at him almost too afraid to look away for fear that he would suddenly vanish. While she knew her being there in the Underworld and finding Killian as she had was real, right now the exhaustion she was feeling and her despair made her feel like she was trapped in a nightmare. And it terrified her.

When Emma looked back upon his face, as she traced her fingers over the scar across his right cheek, her memories between her and the man she loved began to spin around in her mind like wildfire. Some of them bad, but most of them good as her conscience struggled to help her feel comfort in the truth she had found him and that he was safe with her once again.

At last, despite the dark circumstances which had been forced upon each of the heroes the very day the darkness destroyed hers and Killian's life, a treasured memory she shared with him stood out as her thoughts froze within that moment and began to play out like a home movie she almost didn't ever want to see end, until it became sullied by the next assault that nearly had taken him away from her even sooner.

 _Emma found herself on a familiar street in the middle of a marketplace within the Enchanted Forest as Hook stood before her while he roamed his hand over his holstered sword and looked at her as he asked with disbelief, "You're telling me that... in this other reality, I'm an expert with such a weapon?"_

 _She smiled at him as she answered, "You're a regular Jack sparrow."_

 _"Is that good?" he asked in confusion, not understanding that she was comparing him to a movie character._

 _"Here," she stated as she walked around him, then Killian became flustered when she drew herself close to him and laid her hand over his own._

 _When they pulled the blade from his scabbard together and raised it into the air, Emma then guided his hand to show him the very movements he had once taught her while she continued calmly, "Let me show you how to use it. They say once you become an expert, your subconscious takes over. Back in my world, that's what we call muscle memory."_

 _"Tell me more about this reality you want to return to," he whispered as he looked back at her into her eyes and she into his after they re-sheathed his sword. "Us, for example. I sense that we, uh... We may be close."_

 _The Savior smiled at him as she responded, "Very."_

 _With surprise, Hook suddenly asked, "Really? Well, I'm starting to get jealous of the other me."_

 _"Let's see what food Henry's discovered, I'm starving," Emma replied as she started to walk away from him, while he began to follow after her until they were both interrupted when Lily, her parents, Grumpy, and more of the Evil Queen's guards from the Author's reality he created for all of them stepped out into the open to attack them._

 _"There they are," Lily spoke up saying anxiously as she started walking after them until she stopped to wait for orders, as Hook immediately drew his sword once again. "It's as I told you, My Queen. The one-handed pirate was helping them. And the boy was with them, as well."_

 _Emma just stared at her parents upon seeing them as the Evil Queen and the leader of her knights until she was pulled out her shock when Grumpy suddenly charged Killian with his own sword raised and knocked it from his hand, while Hook backed away in fear as the dwarf called out coldly, "Tell us where the child is hiding!"_

 _The Savior immediately stepped in to defend Killian as she shoved Grumpy back and to the ground while she shouted angrily, "Hey! Back off, dwarf! Or they'll change your name to Stumpy!"_

 _"I know you," Snow White said callously to her daughter, not recognizing Emma as her daughter. "You're... Emma. The mad hag who was locked in the tower. I almost didn't recognize you out of your chains."_

 _"You're the one that's hard to recognize," Emma answered. "Both of you. This isn't who you are."_

 _The Queen looked at the blonde as she responded strangely, "Tell me... Who are we?"_

 _She replied steadfastly, "You're my parents. I'm the product of your true love. You taught me how to be a hero. You taught me how to believe in hope. And I do. And now I need you to believe in it too."_

 _"You're right," her mother answered worryingly, acting as though she was ashamed of her actions, while Hook reached down to pick up his fallen sword again and walked up to stand with the Savior. "Emma. Hope is a very powerful thing. Which is why I'm going to have to snuff it out of you and that awful son of yours."_

 _"Kill them," she ordered as she turned back to her soldiers again._

 _However, David suddenly cut them off when Henry walked into the open several feet away from them with a bag of food in his arms as the Black Knight pointed toward the boy and spoke up saying, "Wait! There he is."_

 _Emma and Hook both looked back behind them upon her father's announcement as Snow White responded cruelly, "My, my. I am going to enjoy watching him die in front of his mother."_

 _"Save Henry," Killian whispered to the woman beside him as he closed his eyes to try to muster up every ounce of bravery he could find within him._

 _"Killian, you can't beat them," she replied fearfully, looking between him and her parents._

 _Hook looked at her as he stood tall, while he answered with more confidence, "If I can help return things to how they were meant to be, then what happens to me here won't matter, will it? Now go. Save your boy."_

 _Emma fearfully looked at him for a moment and quickly did like he told her to do, but when she reached her son, they both turned back to Killian while he swiftly kicked out one of the posts of the balcony holding up the bundles of feed and grains above the Queen's soldiers to knock them all out, including Grumpy and Lily, then David advanced on him again as he asked smugly, "Is she worth your life, pirate?"_

 _"I'm willing to find out," the deckhand responded nervously, then the leader of the Black Knights struck Hook's sword almost playfully as he believed Hook was going to be easy to defeat, while Killian whimpered in fear when David kept charging him, faster and harder._

 _"What do you know?" Hook asked with surprise at himself, when despite the soldier's stronger advances, he somehow managed to finally knock David down to the ground after he struck him in his face with his elbow. "I'm a natural."_

 _However, Killian immediately raised his sword again as Snow White approached him while he said sternly, "Hey! What about you, Your Majesty? Shall I make quick work...?"_

 _All of a sudden David came up behind Killian and stabbed him in his back with a dagger to cut him off while he gasped in pain, causing him to drop his sword as Emma fearfully cried out, "No!"_

 _"I never did like pirates," the villain stated cruelly in Hook's ear as he struggled to breathe through his agony._

 _"Mom!" Henry called out to her as Emma attempted to go to Killian's aid, while her father held him by his shoulder and twisted the blade in deeper to hurt him even more than he already had. "We have to get out of here! Mom!"_

 _Emma whimpered in fear when David finally released the man she loved and was forced to watch while Killian finally collapsed to the ground as he died. David wiped the blood off his blade on the sleeve of his shirt while Snow White conjured a fire ball in the palm of her hand and cast it at Emma and Henry._

Her memory finally did come to an end when Emma suddenly gasped awake from her thoughts as she swiftly sat up from where she lay, not realizing until then that she had allowed herself to rest her head against Killian's shoulder after she had unknowingly laid down beside him within the bed.

The Savior looked out across from her into the next room where her father and their friends were resting, except for Liam who remained standing against the wall of the room's entryway so he could keep watch over his brother, and found no one had been disturbed by her startled awakening.

She then raised her hand to her face and rubbed her eyes to try to push aside the weariness she felt. Yet when she lowered it and looked down at Killian again, she stifled another gasp once more upon seeing his one good eye was open while he struggled to see around him through the haze which undoubtedly clouded his vision from all he had suffered through.

Emma tenderly laid her hand again against his cheek and gently turned his head towards her so her own face fell into his line of sight, then she gripped his hand while she whispered fearfully, "Killian? Can you… I'm… I'm here. You're going to be… alright. You will be. I promise."

Killian weakly pulled his hand out from under hers as he turned away, and in a voice so quiet she could barely him, he stammered, "She's not… You're… You're not her. Please… Why can't you just le… leave me be?"

"It is me," she despondently replied when she saw that the man she loved couldn't believe she had come for him because of the mind games Hades must have used to torment him further, as a tear trickled slowly down her cheek while she laid her hand over his once more and the other over his chest above his heart, or where his heart would be if it were still beating. "It really is. Please, Killian…"

Liam was the first one to notice Killian was awake and cautiously walked over to stand at the end of the bed, not wanting to frighten his brother or to disturb Emma from trying to break through to him. Instead, he simply stood back and listened to the few words exchanged between them.

"I'm we… weak," Killian struggled to answer again while he kept his eye closed and his head turned away in order to avoid seeing what he believed would be nothing but shame and disappointment on Emma's face that showed how she truly felt about him. "Pathetic… Her father… he was ri… right… about me. I… I know…"

Her tears continued to fall as she listened to his jumbled words until he trailed off, and Emma finally had to pull one of her hands away from him so she could cover her mouth in order to keep from letting out the sobs threatening to escape her lips. While she didn't really understand what he might be referring to regarding what her father had said to him once, or why he was mentioning something David might have said, his other words led her to believe Killian was remembering back to when David had told him he would never be anything more than a pirate who wasn't good enough for her. Emma had known how much those words hurt him, even way back then. And she hated Hades that much more for using them to hurt the man she loved.

Finally, Emma spoke again after she had to take a few moments so she could breathe in and out to compose herself, then began to caress his face and play with his hair while she whispered sadly, "No matter... how long it takes to get you through this, Killian… I promise you I will. I promise to prove to you how much you are loved and just how much I love you. You aren't weak and pathetic. No matter what Hades said, or any of his hallucinations he might have conjured up to trick you. You are a good man. A strong man whom I love so much more than you know. I will always love you. Which is why… I need you to come back to me. I don't want to live the rest of my life without you. I can't. Not when I only just found you a few short years ago. That's not enough for me."

Emma finished talking when it became evident Killian had lost his fight with consciousness once again, then she raised her head and looked up in surprise when Alice silently took her oldest son's place beside the Savior with something concealed in a handkerchief within her hands, then she stated quietly, "I heard most of what you spoke to my son just now. Please forgive me for eavesdropping. It's just… I should have realized sooner that Killian might not understand any of us are real because of what's been done to him. Not even you. So I brought you something."

"What is it?" the Savior asked the older woman in confusion when Alice handed what was in her hands over to her, then Emma unwrapped the cloth from what was inside and found what appeared to be a strange piece of tree root.

"It's known as dream root," Alice responded somberly. "It allows for someone to enter another's mind through their dreams. Not alone, but when mixed with the other's blood or even their tears. It could help you to get through to him, if you're willing. You're the closest to him and you know my youngest far better than anyone. If anyone can break through to him, it'll be you, Miss. Swan."

The Savior looked up at her again while she worryingly replied, "You can just call me Emma. And are you sure this is safe? I mean… for him? I will do anything to bring him back and let him know I'm really here for him, but have you ever used this dream root before? Where did you even get it?"

Killian's and Liam's mother shook her head as she answered, "I picked it from a field not far from here where the root grows. There isn't much of it, but not much is needed. And no… I haven't used it before myself, but I've known others who have and who have succeeded in helping the souls here to sleep and dream, as well as to awaken them from them."

"Forgive me…" Lila uttered nervously when she appeared across from Emma on the opposite side of the bed, along with Graham and David as well. "I don't mean to interfere. I too couldn't help but overhear and heard you speaking of dream root. If you wish to use it to try to help this man you love… I can help you. I'm one of those who've used it before and I know of its power. But I must warn you, it could be dangerous."

"How so?" David questioned fearfully when he looked over at the witch he didn't know aside from her name and that she was loved by one of his oldest friends.

Lila bowed her head while she responded, "Once your daughter enters his dreams, I'm afraid the only way either of them will be able to awaken again… is if she can convince him she's real and help him break through his fears and his pain."

Emma's father immediately objected, "No. Emma… you can't."

"I have to," his daughter steadfastly replied, then looked up at Lila again. "Can you guide me through what I have to do?"

"I can," the witch said assuredly. "But you need to get some rest. Dream root will drain you both mentally and physically. Sleep."


	33. Chapter 33

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Thirty-Three

Lila sat down across from Emma while Graham, David, Alice, and Liam all remained nearby as the witch continued to talk with them about all she knew of the dream root and how she could guide the Savior for as long as she was able. After she finished, she and the others left Emma alone with Killian so she could finally try to get some sleep before she moved forward with using the root, then laid down again beside the man she loved and held him close, for his comfort as well as for her own.

The older of the Jones brothers took his place again against the wall to continue to keep watch over them, though he allowed himself to sit down on the floor so he wouldn't have to remain on his feet. Alice on the other hand, walked over to stand over him as she told him she was going to step outside to get some more fresh water from the brook, then picked up the flask and left the cottage.

While she was kneeling down over the brook and holding the carafe in the water so she could fill it, Hades suddenly appeared above her after he walked up behind her, then spoke nonchalantly saying, "Hello, Alice. I've missed you."

The God's sudden voice startled her, as she dropped the flask in the brook and immediately stood again while she turned around to face him with anger in her eyes, then Alice darkly responded, "Hades… What are you doing here?"

"I thought you might be happy to see me," he replied smugly, then reached out and seductively began to caress her arm until the dark haired woman pulled away from him as she took a few steps back. "I'll admit, it's been awhile since I've come to see you. But I have been busy. I'm the ruler of this realm after all and I have responsibilities to all my subjects you know."

"Whatever twisted thing there was between us before… I'm done, Lord Hades," Alice retorted brusquely, but then turned her head towards her cottage in worry, hoping that the protection spells put in place truly were powerful enough to keep the deity from breaking in to recapture her youngest again. "We both know why you've really come here and what you've done to my son. How could you do this? How could you torture Killian like that? You gave me your word you would keep your eyes on my boys and protect them from harm. I gave in to you and became another of your mistresses so you would!"

Hades stepped towards her again while he answered smugly, "And like you did, I kept up my end of our deal, darling. I told you I would look after your two sons for as long as they were slaves to that bastard pirate, Captain Silver. Which I did. They both survived their sixteen years of servitude, didn't they? And then I even saw to it that Silver and his crew paid the price for their cruelty. I didn't have to do that, but I knew you would appreciate it. Although… you might not be too happy about how I pulled it off. I did have to manipulate your oldest into making a deal himself. But it did allow for him and the younger one to become free men, and officers within the Royal Navy on top of that. Captain and Lieutenant no less… for awhile. Liam's death a few years later was his own fault."

The God held his hand out and snapped his fingers as a large glass jar containing just a hand within the fluids which kept it preserved appeared, then he continued, "This is this realm's replica of the hand which once belonged to the dreaded Captain Hook. I borrowed it from the Dark One's shop… the very villain who stole it from him that is. It appears this was one of the punishments well deserved for your youngest son's many sins in his life. Two hundred years is a long time."

"Liam is a good man, who has more than made up for his mistakes in life," she retorted angrily. "And so has Killian. That woman in there who calls herself the Savior? She's come down here to save him from you. I believe she will succeed."

"You're very naïve if you really believe that," Hades responded once he made Killian's hand disappear again. "But that doesn't matter right now. Let me guess… Emma Swan has told you some fairytale about how much she loves your youngest son and that she'd do anything to save him from me? Is that right?"

While Alice looked at him in confusion without saying anything, the deity haughtily continued, "Well… you ought to know, I gave her the chance to spare Hook anymore pain. The chance to save him, at least from my wrath. If you don't believe me, go ahead and ask her for yourself. I offered her a deal so long as she would willingly offer up her heart and yet she refused. Now… I've had to find myself a new way to restart my own heart no thanks to her and my own younger brother, Zeus. Who stopped my heart centuries ago to punish me for trying to be the ruler I rightfully should be… up there on Mount Olympus. But that's where you come in now, Alice. I need you to do me a little favor. There's only one other way my heart can be started and that's going to require me to rekindle an old romance from years ago. However, to do that, I need her to join me here in the Underworld and I can't bring her here from the land of the living without help from the Evil Queen… Regina that is. I need you to draw her out here beyond the protection spells put up around your cottage. Do this, or I will not only take away this life of luxury which I created for you, but I will send in my furies, who can harness enough power to break the barriers, and they will rip both of your sons away from you. Then I will punish them severely for your own bad choices. What will it be?"

She looked towards her home again with fear in her eyes while she whispered, "I don't think I can do that."

"Come on, Alice…" he uttered cruelly. "I know that you have a dark side in you. Or have you forgotten what you did to your husband after his arrival down here with my help? All for the sake of your boys?"

"I remember," the woman still standing in front of him stated darkly when she looked into Hades' eyes again and then nodded. "I'll do it. But I need you to promise me something in return."

Hades shrugged while he questioned, "And what's that? I think my days of doing you any favors is finished."

Alice stepped closer to him and reached out to place her hand over his chest while she replied crossly, "Just promise me that you won't hurt my boys any further. Or the Queen."

"I promise," the God answered coolly with a lie and then leaned in to kiss his mistress while he stroked her cheek almost tenderly, until he finally pulled back and started to walk away with his back to her. "For whatever it's worth… I have missed you, Alice."

"I've never missed you," she whispered to herself as soon as the deity suddenly vanished from before her within blue flames, then she turned back to the cottage and walked back to return inside while she struggled to come up with a way to draw Regina out for Hades.


	34. Chapter 34

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Thirty-Four

Emma slowly awoke some time later, though she had no idea how much time had actually passed since she allowed herself to drift off to sleep, which was attributable to utter exhaustion and not because she wanted to sleep. Lila and Alice had encouraged her to get some rest for what was ahead, yet the Savior had truthfully been frightened to do so. However, despite their current troubles with being trapped in the Underworld and Killian's poor state, somehow lying next to the man she loved so deeply offered Emma the comfort she needed to be able to.

She turned her head to look over at Killian still lying unconscious beside her, then struggled to sit up while she reached out to lay her hand over his forehead to feel the heat of his fever still holding its grip over him. Emma glanced out the window behind her and saw that the red sun had risen while she was asleep, then turned around again when her father and Regina entered the room upon seeing she was finally awake.

"How are you feeling?" David asked softly while he took a seat in the chair closest to her.

"Better… believe it or not," the Savior replied, then she pulled down the blankets she had laid over Killian before falling asleep to check on his wounds and was grateful to see that none of them appeared to worsen through the night. "How long was I asleep?"

Regina looked between her friends in front of her while she responded, "Surprisingly, for about six hours. More than we all expected you to be, but it's still not enough after all you've been through."

Emma released a sigh of frustration and looked down on Killian again, then she answered, "Maybe not, but it's going to have to do. I was lucky to have gotten that much. I need to help him. It's time to use the dream root."

"Are you sure you really want to do this?" David quietly asked his daughter out of concern. "You heard Lila's warning. You won't wake up again if you can't convince Hook you're real and that you've come down here to save him. He was barely lucid when he woke up before, but you heard how broken he is."

"Yes… I heard her warning and I know how broken Killian is, but I don't care," she despondently replied, then looked down at Killian's face and took his hand into her own once again until Lila walked in to join the three of them as well. "If this is the only way I can get through to him, I'm doing it. I trust our love is strong enough to break through to him. I won't leave him like this, any more than I could leave him down here in Hell."

The witch standing at the end of the bed spoke up gently saying, "Your friend is very fortunate to have someone love him as you do."

The Savior looked up at her while she responded, "Believe me, I'm the fortunate one to have him love me. I'm ready to do this. What do I have to do?"

"I made the potion while you were sleeping," Lila answered as she summoned the vile containing her concoction made from the dream root Alice had given Emma and handed it down to Emma, then took Regina's place in the chair across from her. "All we need is a little of his blood."

"Unfortunately, we have plenty of that," Regina replied when she picked up one of the wet discarded rags still lying within the basin set aside on the dresser beside the bed and used her magic to separate Killian's blood from soaked cloth until the red substance became nothing more than two single drops of blood, which the Queen then magicked into the vial Emma held out for her. "Good luck, Emma. And be careful."

Emma smiled at her and laid down again beside Killian before she glanced up at her father who reached down to take her hand, then she turned to Lila once more as the witch nodded when she saw the Savior was ready. Emma took a moment to breathe in and out, then at last she lifted the vial to her mouth and drank the potion until it was gone. Only a few seconds passed before the magic began to work and Emma's eyes closed as she drifted off into the unconsciousness that was tightly holding onto the man she loved.

The sunlight shining in through the window behind the bed where she and Killian lay vanished and nothing but darkness surrounded Emma as she entered his dreams, having no idea what was to come. She expected and feared she was soon going to find herself inside one of Hades' prisons where he had been tortured, or once again in the cavern where he had been hung up over the River of Lost Souls. However, much to her surprise, she found herself aboard the Jolly Roger as she was standing upon the upper deck in front of the ship's wheel.

She looked around her while she stepped away from the helm and walked down the steps to the lower deck until she finally saw Killian before her, dressed once more in his pirate apparel he had worn until the evening of their first date, as he was leaning over the starboard side of his ship staring out over the ocean in the dark of night with only the moon dimly shining down on them through the dark clouds surrounding them. It appeared there was a dreaded storm brewing in the distance and there were no stars visible within the sky for him to navigate with.

"Killian… Can you hear me?" Emma questioned softly as she stood behind him, afraid to approach him or to reach out to touch him despite her longing to do so. "It's me… again. We're in your dream, but I promise you I am real."

"Neverland should be straight ahead, but… but it isn't," Killian somberly responded without looking back at her, as though he hadn't heard a word she said. "It's strange… It would appear I'm… truly lost. It's not like me to get lost. I've always known where I am. Not always where I was going, but there were always stars to guide me. Just not… not tonight."

He finally turned his head to face her when she walked up beside him, then he darkly continued, "I wouldn't keep trying to manipulate me. I know what you are. You're nothing but the bloody demon inside my head. And I'm tired of listening to you. Just go away and leave me be."

Killian turned again, then started to walk away from her until he suddenly doubled over in pain and Emma immediately reached out to catch him until he swiftly backed away from her in order to avoid her touch, then she tried to get him to look at her again as she fearfully whispered, "You're hurt. I know you're in a lot of pain right now."

"What do you know about pain?" Hook retorted curtly as he glared at the woman behind him.

"Killian, please…" she pleaded with him sadly. "It's really me. Emma… the woman who loves you. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere without you. I need you to believe me. I know you're lost and afraid. I can't imagine…"

He angrily stated, "Lies. No one loves me. I'm Captain Hook, the most dreaded pirate upon these waters. Or at least… I used to be. But now I don't know who… or what I am. There was someone… once. Or at least I thought there was. Someone I believed who might have loved me, but what a fool I was. Because she turned out to be just a… another delusion… like you are too. You made a mistake taking her form. I can see right through you, demon."

Killian turned away from her again to hide the tears in his eyes as they threatened to fall before he could wipe them away, but Emma could see the pain on his face that didn't come from the physical torture he suffered from anyways. Then, while Killian weakly continued to walk back towards the upper deck, the setting within his dream strangely changed much to Emma's surprise and they suddenly became surrounded by pirates, some of whom she recognized from being captured by them and Hades. Only it didn't appear to faze Killian in the slightest.

When she looked at him again, his appearance had also changed and it was clear that the memory they found themselves in now were from when Killian had been a slave. His clothes were rags like what he's been wearing since she first found him and rescued him from Hades' eternal punishment as one of the God's most tormented souls. Killian once again had two hands and his wrists and ankles were bound in chained shackles. Also, his hair was longer and pulled back tightly behind his head. His face was the same, yet somehow, he appeared younger… as he was two centuries ago. However, the darkness and despair within his eyes was the same, just as she's seen in them since she first met Killian in the Enchanted Forest. And with all this, he didn't appear to notice anything was different from how things were a minute ago.

He walked over to the bottom of the stairs leading to the upper deck and bent down to pick up two buckets filled with what Emma knew was the crew's waste without having to look inside to verify it as such, then watched him as he carried them over to the ship's side to dump them out into the ocean.

She finally spoke again to him in confusion as she asked, "What is this? How'd we end up here?"

"I'm not sure… what you're talking about," Killian answered while he bent down to pick up and dump the second bucket. "We haven't gone anywhere, whoever or whatever you are. But you should know… You are after all a figment of my imagination."

Emma let out a sigh of frustration when she realized she hadn't gotten through to him in the slightest, and that he didn't seem to be aware of having been aboard the Jolly Roger moments ago, then she uttered, "Killian, I…"

"What did you just call me?" he briskly questioned as he interrupted her when he turned his head to face her again.

"Killian," she replied in concern when she looked into his eyes which grew cold again as he glared back at her. "That is your name?"

His eyes softened until he turned away from her once more and yet she understood that somehow the mention of his name hurt him when he sadly responded, "Not anymore, it isn't. My brother's the only one who calls me that. You're not real. So you can call me anything else, just like everyone else here."

All of a sudden, Silver appeared behind Killian and tightly grabbed him by his throat as the drunken Captain shoved his slave back against the ship's side, then cruelly uttered, "You little bastard…"

"Hey… get away from him!" Emma shouted at the villain threatening Killian while she attempted to fight against Silver, until her hands strangely fazed right through him and the man she loved like she was nothing more than a ghost and silent observer, as the Captain didn't acknowledge her even being there because he couldn't see or hear her. "Stop!"

"Did you really think you could steal from me without my knowledge?" Silver angrily continued as Killian struggled against the man choking him, until he finally released him and then punched Killian hard across his cheek to force him down onto the deck at his feet. "Your wages once again belong to me because you lost it foolishly betting against me and my men last night when you got yourself drunk. Where is it?"

Killian remained on the ship's floor and kept his head down as he answered weakly, "I did… didn't steal it. I swear."

The Savior knelt down in front of her pirate who refused to look at her, while Silver tossed down an empty coin purse which belonged to the Captain in front of him and then he replied, "Then you're a liar as well as a thief. I found my pouch under the mattress within yours and your brother's quarters."

"If that's true, it was planted to frame him," Emma curtly retorted while she glared up at the villain, not caring if he could actually hear her or not, then she focused on Killian again as he struggled to rise. "Don't listen to him, Killian. He's the only bastard in this dream you and I are both trapped in right now. Please… I need you to listen to me. This isn't real. All of this is in your mind."

"But I am real… not this," she added worryingly as she reached out and laid her hand over his to show him how she only fazed through him. "Or at least I'm real outside of your dream, as you are too. In reality, you and I are lying together on a bed inside a cottage where we're safe, while we're both unconscious. How else do you explain why my hands faze right through you, when Silver's don't? Why is it he can physically hurt you, and yet I can't comfort you with even the slightest touch… as much as I wish I could? Please, Killian… I know that some small part of you can sense what I'm saying is true."

Killian finally raised his head weakly in order to look into her eyes, seeming to have forgotten Captain Silver was still standing over them as he looked down on them with a scowl on his face, while he struggled to understand the strangeness surrounding him. And then the scene around them suddenly changed again like it had done before, as he and Emma found themselves within Hades' lair. Just like they had been in reality before Hook had been thrown into the pit where he was emotionally tortured by his delusions of those he loved most, his arms were stretched out again at his sides by the chains which bound him firmly as he was being whipped by Pan and Felix, the demon child's most loyal friend until Pan had killed him.

However, Killian continued to struggle to ignore his pain as he kept his eyes on the beautiful woman still with him and then he asked fearfully, "What's happening? You… You can't really be real. Emma's safe. In Camelot, or… or maybe Storybrooke by now, but she isn't… she isn't… here. She can't be. She wouldn't… not for me."

The Savior sadly, yet unwaveringly responded, "I am here. I promise. It's really me. I came down into the Underworld to save you. I couldn't lose you, because I love you. Because you loved me. You love me more than I ever believed was possible. So please… believe in me now."

"I always have… believed in her," Hook answered in both confusion and fear. "She's the strongest woman… Emma? You're really here?"

"Yes!" Emma exclaimed happily as she laughed despite her tears which were more of joy than sorrow, then she reached out to pull him into her arms again, surprised to find she could do so, and she continued to embrace him while the two Lost Boys faded away until they found themselves within a dark void of nothingness. "Yes, I'm here. I'm really here and you're safe now. We saved you from Hades' prison."

Despite the darkness surrounding them, Killian could still make Emma out while he pulled back enough so he could look at her face and then asked, "How is it that I can feel your touch now… when I couldn't before?"

She smiled at him sadly as she whispered, "I'm not sure, but I suppose it could be because you do believe in me when you couldn't before. Eventually, you've always been able to believe in me even when I've given you good reason not to. You believed in me again even after I left you up in the Giants' castle after we climbed that damn beanstalk. You did after I told you that you could be a part of something with us in Storybrooke, which brought you back to offer your ship and services to help us save Henry from Pan. And you've believed in me ever since without a doubt in your mind that I was a Savior despite my own disbelief in myself."

"You are the strong… strongest woman I've ever known," Killian replied quietly, then he allowed for Emma to help him stand despite the physical pain he still felt, as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Mostly because of you," she said in sincerity. "I never would have come to be who I am without you and your stubborn determination to persuade me not to run away from those I love and the person you could always see in me more than anyone else could. Even my family. But we can talk about this later. Right now, I need to help you find your own fight. It's time to wake up. We'll do this together. Are you ready?"

He nodded sadly, then responded, "I suppose I am."

She answered, "Good. Come on."


	35. Chapter 35

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Thirty-Five

Meanwhile…

Shortly after Emma fell under the effects of the dream root so the Savior could enter into her son's dreams, Alice nervously approached Regina as she continued to stand over her friends long enough to make sure they were as okay as Lila assured her and David they were. The brothers' mother glanced over at her oldest son while he watched on from where he was once again standing against the wall, then finally she caught Regina's attention and motioned for her to join her a moment so they could talk in private. Lila took her place and sat in the chair across from where David still stood in the chair closest to his daughter.

"I apologize for pulling you away, but I was hoping you and I could take a few minutes to talk," the older woman whispered to her once they reached the doorway. "It's somewhat of a private matter, which I doubt is known to any of your friends and I don't wish to bring it up in front of them in case I'm right."

"Is it so important that we have to talk about whatever it is right now?" Regina then asked, skeptical of Alice's motives just like Emma was.

Alice let out a quiet sigh in frustration and then continued, "Your friends are looking after my son. And so is his brother. Please… It's about Killian's and Liam's father. I know about your role in his death. I think it's important that we talk about this. But outside. I don't want Liam to know."

The Queen looked over at the oldest of the Jones brothers as well, then looked between her friends and Robin, before she finally turned back to face Alice again while she answered, "I suppose you're right. We should talk."

"Okay, we're outside and away from anyone who might want to listen in on our conversation we're about to have," Regina uttered curtly once they were outside and had left the safety of the protections she had helped put in place along with Tinker Bell, until her countenance softened to reveal sympathy and remorse. "You're right… they don't know about what I've done. But not because I was trying to keep this secret from them to protect myself. I kept it a secret because Hook asked me to never speak of it again to anyone. Not ever. I am going back on my word by talking about to you now. However, I doubt you're going to let this go if I didn't. So, here I am. I know this might not mean much to you right now, but the truth is… I am sorry for provoking your youngest into killing his father. It was wrong and I do deeply regret it."

"I appreciate that, Your Majesty," the other woman replied with a small sense of sincerity behind her words, until Regina's instincts began to tell her there was more to their reason for talking than just to clear the air between them. "Honestly, I know as well as you do that their father wasn't undeserving of the punishment he brought upon himself. I just wish it hadn't been by Killian's hands. However, I'm afraid that's not the only reason why we're out here. I'm so sorry…"

Before Regina had the chance to acknowledge Alice's trap she had lured her into, both Cruella and an enemy who wore David's face, whom the Queen immediately realized was the Prince's identical twin, stepped out from the trees behind her where they hid under the cover of the woods while the two women spoke until Alice apologized to her, then they quickly grabbed hold of the hero before Regina could attempt to lash out against them with her magic. While their hold on her was firm as she struggled against them, she immediately screamed Robin's name.

With his bow and quiver in hand while he quickly readied himself for the fight that had found them, the archer ran from the cottage upon hearing Regina's cry, followed closely by Graham, August, Tinker Bell, Grumpy, Smee, and Liam who were all also armed, except for the older of the Jones brothers, who quickly rushed over to his mother to help her and get her back inside, while David and Lila remained inside to protect Emma and Hook.

When he saw the woman he loved was being held by James and Cruella, neither of whom he'd met or even knew about other than from the stories about the dog hater he'd been told from when he'd been away in New York, then watched as the evil twin suddenly struck her across the back of her head to knock her out cold, Robin immediately cried out, "Regina!"

Robin took aim and fired an arrow directly at James' back to try to stop them as the two villains started to drag Regina off, only the projectile did nothing more than stick out of him until he pulled it out, then glanced back at the archer and the others while he said smugly, "Your weapons can't harm those who are already dead. However, luckily we can harm you."

"Robin… hold on!" Graham shouted when all of a sudden, one of Hades' creatures from this world known as a fury swooped down to attack his friend from behind, until the Huntsman fired his own arrow at its head to kill it before it could harm his friend. "You can't help Regina now!"

"I have to!" Robin retorted angrily, until a swarm of the winged creatures appeared above them and flew down to attack each of the heroes who came out to help their friends.

However, he kept on after James and Cruella until he caught up to them before they could get away, while the rest of his friends all fought against the furies the best they could. His determination to save Regina surprised Cruella when the archer swiftly appeared behind them as he struck the evil woman with his bow from behind, then continued to fight against the Prince in hand to hand combat, causing the villains to drop Regina in the ground.

Unfortunately, the fight didn't last long before three more furies swooped down and carried both Regina and Robin away to wherever James and Cruella were meant to take the former Evil Queen, then James just ran, leaving Cruella behind when Tinker Bell appeared in front of her. Cruella glared at her for only a couple of seconds before the fairy swiftly blew pixie dust into the villainess' face, causing her to fall to the ground upon losing consciousness. She took out a few more of the creatures using a dagger she carried with her, then rushed back to continue to help her friends.

By the time the battle was finished and the remainder of the furies were either killed or had flown off, Regina and Robin weren't the only ones who'd been taken by the winged creatures. August, Leroy, and Smee had all been taken captive as well despite their fighting efforts. There were just too many of them, as the heroes had been heavily outnumbered.

After those who remained safe walked back inside the cottage, including Tink who dragged Cruella in with her, Lila rushed into Graham's arms, relieved to see that he was mostly alright aside from a large gash across his forehead from the fight, while David looked between them, Liam and Alice too, as he questioned, "What just happened out there? How did Hades find us?"

The villainess among them chortled until Graham swiftly raised one of his knives to her throat, then spoke coldly saying, "We may not be able to kill you or even hurt you, but we can still make your own captivity here with us unpleasant unless you talk. What do you know? Why did you come here for Regina? For Hades?"

"Of course it was for Hades, darling," the vile woman responded to them haughtily. "No one does things around here without Hades either issuing the order, or without him knowing about what we've done on our own, which we would then be punished for doing later. As for why he wanted Her Majesty, I've no idea. He told us to come here and to bring her in. That's all I know. Oh… and you have Pan to thank for his finding out where you heroes were hiding. But the trap, however…"

"The trap was because of me," Alice suddenly admitted before Cruella could call her out first, then looked over at her oldest and saw the confusion on his face upon hearing her confession. "I'm so sorry. I didn't want to, but Hades came to me earlier while I was drawing water from the brook. He needs Regina's help with something. Something involving Hades finding another way to restart his heart and an old romance. I have no idea what he meant. But he promised he wouldn't hurt her. Regina… I mean."

Tinker Bell angrily retorted, "You'll forgive us if that isn't very comforting. Hades is nothing but a liar and a monster. You've seen what he's done to your son. How can you even think he won't do the same thing to our friends?"

Liam looked between those surrounding him and his mother, then turned back to her as he asked sadly, "He threatened me and Killian… didn't he? That's why you did this?"

"I had no choice," Alice answered him with remorse, purposefully leaving out the rest of the story between her and the deity. "I couldn't let him harm you or Killian any more than he already has. Again… I'm sorry."

"While we don't condone what you've done, we do understand," David replied and looked back at his daughter and friend still lying unconscious before turning back to the rest of their friends still with them. "We need to find them, while someone stays here to protect Emma and Hook."

Lila glanced at Cruella and smiled, then responded, "I think I've got a way we can do both."

The good Prince turned to the witch and stated, "Tell us your plan."


	36. Chapter 36

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Thirty-Six

Emma was the first one to wake up once she succeeded in helping the man she loved to believe she was real and that she had come to save him from Hades' wrath, as she opened her eyes expecting to see her father or Killian's mother standing over them. However, before recognizing that neither of them were there, the Savior looked over at Killian and laid her hand over his cheek to help him wake as well, then smiled down on him as he weakly did so, opening his only good eye the best he could beneath the cuts and bruises covering his face.

"You did it," Lila stated happily upon seeing her friends who had been unconscious and under the dream root's effects for a couple of hours since Emma had entered the pirate's dreams awaken, as the blonde haired woman slowly sat up before she turned to continue to help Killian by putting her pillow behind his head so he could rise up a little further off the bed, though he barely acknowledged as she did so and avoided looking at Emma or the woman who was a stranger to him as much as she was to everyone else. "I never should have been worried."

"Lila… where is everyone?" Emma asked while she moved her hand to take Killian's into her own, then saw Cruella sitting in the other room on a chair with the shackles that had been used before on Killian around her wrists, ankles, and chest to keep her bound, as well as with a gag in her mouth to keep her quiet. "And why is she here? Please tell me everyone's okay."

The witch nodded sadly and then she responded, "We believe everyone's fine. But, while you were both under, there was an attack. A swarm of furies… one of Hades' many creatures down in this realm. This vile woman here and a man who had the same face as your father led the attack and unfortunately, a few of your friends were taken. Regina, Robin, Leroy, Smee, and August too. The others including your father left here to find them. Except for… for his… I conjured a spell that allowed me to look into Cruella's mind for where she and the other leader planned on taking Regina, in hope that it's still where they'll be. It's where your family are heading now and if they're not there, Graham will track them. Try not to worry. They have Tinker Bell with them and I gave them some of my own magic too. I promised them that I would remain here to look after you and Hook, as well as our own prisoner."

After listening to her and Emma while they talked, Killian struggled to rise from the bed until the Savior laid her hands across his shoulders to stop him as she worryingly asked, "What are you doing? Killian, you're far too weak to try to rise up from this bed. You've been badly wounded and I can't heal you. Please… Just let me take care of you."

"Your family… our friends, they're in danger," the man she loved frailly answered her and then finally collapsed back against the pillows again when he became too weak to keep fighting against her. "Emma? God… you never should have co… come. You should… shouldn't have dragged everyone…"

"We came here to save you because you didn't deserve to die and I couldn't let you remain trapped in this Hell while Hades continued to torture you," the Savior replied firmly when she recognized the look of despair, as well as guilt in his eye while he struggled to look at her. "None of us could."

Killian closed his eye again and a tear fell as he shamefully responded, "You should have. I died… I sacrificed my life to keep… to keep you all… safe. But they're not. You're not."

He suddenly gasped painfully and writhed on the bed when a wave of pain washed over him, while Emma held him as gently as she could to try to comfort him with Lila's help, then once he was able to talk again after the two women laid him back against the pillows beneath his head, he continued darkly, "This… This is what I deserve aft… after all I've done. I couldn't live… Not like that. I don't want… What'd you do? Why couldn't you… Why couldn't you just let me go?"

When Killian finally allowed himself to settle into the pillows and continued to rest, as Emma fought to hold in the tears threating to fall when it broke her heart to hear the man she love fight so desperately to try to prove to her he wasn't worth the sacrifice she and those who cared about him were making for him in return, she was sadly reminded of the moment when Zelena and Gold had nearly drown Killian, as he had been angry with her then too for being willing to risk everyone's life for the sake of his own.

Some time ago, outside of Zelena's farmhouse…

 _Unfortunately, Zelena and Gold had managed to surprise Emma and Hook by their sudden appearance a few yards in front of them despite the heroes' efforts to bring the fight to the Wicked Witch instead in hope of keeping them from trying to take her brother away from her parents all over again._

 _To make matters worse, the witch had ordered Gold, who was more than happy to comply with this one command, to force Hook head first into the well outside of the farmhouse so that he would drown unless Emma chose to let them go so she could save him, a man whom like Zelena had taunted, she couldn't wait to run away from. Not because of anything he really did to her, but because she resented him for taking away the life she had with Henry in New York and because accepting she had found a home where she could be happy meant she would have to be the Savior to everyone. The truth was, it frightened her._

 _However, Emma pushed all of that aside and focused on saving the man who needed her to, as she immediately rushed over to where Hook was drowning, then struggled against the Dark One's power that was keeping Hook's head under water while she fought to pull Killian free. Thankfully, the villains finally vanished in the witch's green smoke and Emma was able to pull the unconscious pirate out of the well at last._

 _"Hook!" she fearfully cried out to him as she laid him down on the ground upon doing so, then began to shake him over and over in hope it was enough to awaken him. "Hook! Wake up! Killian! Killian, come back to me."_

 _"Oh God!" the Savior uttered worryingly between pants while she struggled to breathe herself in her rush to fight for his life, as she looked around her for sign of anyone nearby who could help her knowing full well she was on her own, then she looked back down on him and knew he was going to die if she didn't do what she had to in order to save him. "Son of a bitch!"_

 _At last, Emma leaned over him while she plugged his nose and laid her lips over his to give him mouth to mouth so she could breathe for him, and it was in this moment that she could feel as her magic left her body just like Zelena planned all along, but it was also in this moment that Emma no longer cared so long as the man lying unconscious before her would be alright._

 _Emma finally pulled back after breathing a few breaths of air into his lungs and franticly pleaded, "Hook… Come back to me."_

 _All of a sudden, Killian's body began to move again when he finally began coughing up the water he had been forced to swallow as Gold had attempted to drown him, until he laid his head back against her hand she placed on the ground under him so she could hold him steady for comfort, and she sadly looked down on him while he struggled to gasp for air._

 _Killian weakly turned his head towards the woman who had saved him and with concern in his voice he whispered, "Swan?"_

 _"What did you do?" he then questioned her angrily with fear in his eyes when he strangely raised his fingers to his lips once he felt her kiss upon them. "What did you do?"_

"I saved your life," she answered him defensively while Hook struggled to sit up and then rise again from the ground to his feet. "A little gratitude might be nice."

The Captain scoffed in frustration as he shook his head and turned away from her, then he retorted, "Swan… I've lived for over two… two hundred years and in that time, my life's been nothing but a waste since I've spent most of it seeking vengeance against a man who can't be killed. I'm a villain. My life is hardly a life worth saving, especially not if it comes down to you losing yours or anyone else here theirs. Which it might now. You're far too important."

Emma was surprised by his confession as she looked at him, though he kept his back to her and then she replied, "That right there… your willingness to give your life for my sake and the sake of everyone else… that shows me that you aren't a villain any longer, Hook."

"Maybe not," Killian responded to her sadly once he finally turned around to face her again. "But I'm no hero either. Why did you kiss me, knowing full well you would lose your power the moment that your lips touched mine? It was what gave you power over the Wicked Witch. You were supposed to defeat her. Your power was all that protected you from her. What if you get hurt? Or worse…"

"First of all, I didn't kiss you," she facetiously answered him before he could finish his sentence, though she smiled at him as she saw the sincerity and his yearning for her in his eyes when they met hers. "I was saving your life. It's called mouth to mouth. It's what we do nowadays to help get a person breathing again when they stop breathing, which you did. You were drowning, Hook. You just spit up a ton of water that filled up in your lungs, so you know that. And second… I gave up my power because whether I like it or not, you're my friend. And forgive me for thinking so, but I see that you're a better man than you see in yourself. This town needs people like you in it. I know you will protect my family and our friends. So… accept what I've done and be grateful. Come on. We need to get back to the hospital before that witch attacks."

Present time, in the Underworld…

Emma finally broke the silence that had fallen over them while her thoughts had brought her back to this moment in time, as she gripped his hand tightly in her own and whispered, "It's like I told you back when my power was lost thanks to Zelena's curse on your lips, because I brought you back to me after you nearly drowned… I see that you're a better man than you see in yourself. But now it's also because I love you and like it or not, I can't lose you. Especially not like this. And if I have to spend the rest of our lives trying to prove to you how wonderful and loving you are, I will."

In the other room, Cruella groaned through the gag in her mouth and rolled her eyes in disgust at what she saw as a sickening scene in front of her, then turned her head like Emma did when both Alice and Liam came down from the upper floor of the cottage upon hearing voices from down below.

When they appeared in front of Emma and Killian as they stepped into the entryway of their room and froze upon seeing Killian had awakened at last, the Savior quickly stood up while she kept hold of his hand, then spoke quietly to them saying, "Please… just be careful and try to keep things quiet."

"Liam?" Killian then uttered in surprise upon seeing his older brother standing there before him and then weakly backed further away from them the best he was able to, suddenly afraid that all of this might have been another of Hades' cruel tricks after all. "You can't… You can't be real. Are you?"

"It's really me, little brother," the older Jones whispered sadly while he slowly approached him on the other side of the bed opposite from Emma, as Lila stepped back, then moved around to the bottom of the bed to observe and wait in case she was needed. "After all these years… you're finally here. You have no idea how good it is to see you again."

The younger man struggled to see him through his good eye, then reached out weakly after he let go of Emma's hand when Liam reached down to take it instead and Killian let out a sound of relief upon feeling his touch. As Liam sat down and leaned over his brother, he turned his head to glance over at their mother, then realized he had no idea how he was going to introduce her to him so long as Killian was in the state he was in.

However, he finally mustered up the courage and nervously cleared his throat, then Liam reached out with his other hand for Alice to take as she walked into the room to stand beside her oldest while he said, "Killian, I… I'm not really sure what the best way is to do this, but this woman… She's our mother. I know you don't remember her at all. But I do and I promise you she's as real as you and I."

Killian stared at her with sadness in his eye and quietly replied, "There's… something I remember of her, if you really are…"

It was then that Alice softly began to sing the lullaby she used to sing to both of her boys every night before she would put them to bed, while Emma and Liam turned their heads to watch her as she did so. Killian on the other hand closed his eye to listen to the sound of her voice until she finished and soon a single tear slipped down his cheek when he felt in his heart that this woman truly was the woman who had given birth to him so, so long ago. When she finished, he looked up at her again as Alice simply leaned over him and kissed her youngest son on his forehead.

"I'll leave the three of you alone so you can talk," Emma stated quietly as she gently caressed Killian's cheek, until he swiftly reached out to grab her hand before she could walk away.

"Thank you, Emma," he responded while he looked again into her eyes. "For not giving up on me… even though I have. I don't know… I want to believe… to believe you. I'm just not sure of any… of anything anymore, except… Except that you love me… as I love you. Don't go too far."

The Savior shook her head as she smiled, then raised his hand to her lips while she kissed it tenderly and answered, "I promise. I'm not going anywhere."

He simply replied, "Good."

Alice and Liam smiled at the woman who loved him too, then Emma finally walked away while she and Lila entered the room across from them so they could talk in private as well without disturbing the others. Meanwhile, in the back of her mind Emma was worried about her father and their friends, and she hoped they were really okay like Lila had told her.


	37. Chapter 37

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Meanwhile…

It wasn't very long after the furies' attack on the heroes that Regina awakened feeling groggy and lightheaded, thanks to James' strike across the back of her head. Once she regained her bearings the best she knew she was going to until she was more conscious, the Queen lifted her hand to her head to help ease her headache a little while she slowly sat up from the wooden floor which she found herself lying on, then finally realized where she had been dragged off to upon looking around the room… to the Underworld's version of Zelena's farmhouse outside of town.

To make matters worse, Regina also found the Blind Witch sitting at the kitchen table a few feet away from her, as she raised her head and turned towards the sound of her former rival stirring, then she uttered smugly, "Hello, Regina. Hades will be pleased that you're awake. In truth, I'm surprised you awoke so soon."

The God entered the room as the blind woman said this, then replied, "So am I. The Evil Queen was always resilient. However, it's a real shame you've lost quite a bit of your stamina since losing your better half."

"On the contrary… I've never been stronger, and now I'm not alone," Regina answered coldly as she rose to her feet and stepped further away from the two villains, then Hades motioned for her to take a seat in the chair across the table from the witch. "I think I'd rather just stand. Thanks. Why am I here? And what did you invite child muncher here for?"

"Relax, Regina," the Blind Witch stated when she turned away from her and then reached out to take one of the gingerbread cookies from the plate in front of her to eat it. "I was only here to watch over you while you were out cold, as Hades was dealing with… Well, that's for him to explain."

The Queen glared at the other woman as she questioned, "Where are the dog hater and evil Charming? I expected they'd be here."

The deity chortled as he sat at the table next to the witch, then responded, "Cruella turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. You might be happy to know that the fairy down here with you heroes managed to take her prisoner like I've taken you. The Prince on the other hand, he's right outside along with Pan. But we'll talk about their roles later. Right now, I need to talk with you."

"Whatever it is you're after, you can forget it," she retorted curtly, then attempted to summon a fireball into the palm of her hand to try to get free despite how foolish it was to do so against a God, who simply caught the flame in his own hand like it was a baseball and snuffed it out. "It was worth a shot. Just what the hell do you want from me?"

"Tell me… do you happen to have the wand that the almighty sorcerer's apprentice gave you during your little journey to Camelot?" Hades asked as he reached out to take one of the cookies to eat as well.

Regina kept her eyes firmly on the villain before her while she stared at him with confusion as she replied, "I doubt it would do you any good. I don't. And even if I did, it's not like I could use it to open us a portal back to Storybrooke from the Underworld. Believe me, if I could, I would have once we saved Hook from you. Even I know coming here isn't like traveling to any other realm through a portal, by magic bean, or otherwise."

The God nodded and then answered, "Yes, well… luckily like everything else, I have a replica of his wand too. And thanks to the Apprentice himself… it's got a little extra kick than it had before the old man died and entered my realm. With both your magic and mine together, we can open up a portal that will allow me to collect someone from the living world. Your sister."

"Zelena?" she suddenly questioned him in surprise, then her eyes darkened. "What the hell do you want with her? She has nothing to do with any of this."

"Actually, that's not really true," Hades smugly responded, then he rose from the table and walked around until he was standing a few feet away from her. "Zelena and I once had a beautiful romance, or at least the start of one. That is until I couldn't stay in your realm any longer and was forced to return here to mine. But with your help, I can finally bring her down here and we can start over."

The Queen continued to stare at him while she uttered, "My sister? You had some morbid romance I don't need to hear any more about with… my sister?"

The deity let out a sigh in frustration and then he replied, "What can I say? Love's complicated and comes when it's least expected."

"The thought that either of you are capable of having a relationship no matter what kind it might have been is what's least expected," Regina uttered again, then she once more became serious as she asked her next question. "If I were to say yes, what exactly is your plan with her?"

"That will be completely up to her if she agrees to remain down here with me," he answered casually, though Regina got the sense he was lying through his teeth about practically everything that came out of his mouth.

Regina shook her head, then responded, "That's not true in the slightest. You needed Emma's heart for something, which is why you offered her that fake deal to help Hook in order to lure her down here. Only she's refused you every time and managed to save him despite your efforts to keep him. Now you want Zelena's heart… don't you?"

He smiled at her and then replied, "Not in the sense you're thinking of. Enough talking. I am going to give you one chance to help me."

"And if I refuse?" she retorted curtly, while Hades motioned for her to follow him towards the door, then walked outside.

"Then your boyfriend and your friends here, whom my winged pets also managed to capture during that battle you started, will all suffer the consequences for your refusal," the God cruelly answered her once Regina stepped out behind him along with the Blind Witch, as he revealed Robin, August, Leroy, and Smee… who were each bound by thick ropes to posts sticking up out of the ground before them, while James and Pan stood by with flame lit torches in their hands, waiting for Hades' orders. "Their lives depend on you, Your Majesty. Will you help me bring Zelena down here? Or do I have Peter Pan and Prince Charming's evil twin end their lives ahead of schedule?"

In Storybrooke…

Zelena sat upon her cot within her prison cell as she was eating the lunch which Granny had prepared for her as she's done for all the rest of the ward's prisoners as well, then had it delivered to the witch by some of the fairies who worked at the hospital under Dr. Whale. After the wicked woman finished, she stood and banged on the door for Nurse Ratched to come and collect the plates and silverware, then asked her for a glass of water for her baby.

When the nurse just stood in front of the door and glared at Zelena through the peep hole without moving or saying a word, the witch then spoke again herself crossly saying, "I've finished. You know it's your job to adhere to the prisoners' needs…? Do you ever actually talk?"

The woman finally responded callously, "I only talk to people like you when it's necessary. Put your dishes and the trash through the window in the door. Then, I'll go get you your water. For the sake of your baby."

"You're a peach," Zelena stated mockingly, then passed the things through. "I don't suppose you could bring me a new book to read to help pass the time of my life sentence in here… could you?"

"Nope," Ratched retorted, then started walking down the hall with the items in her hands until the ground mysteriously began to shake, as she suddenly heard the Wicked Witch cry out to her for help.

Inside her cell, Zelena felt the ground tremble as well until a portal began to open up within the floor before her, wider and wider while she struggled to back away against the wall above her bed to avoid falling in. Unfortunately, her efforts to save herself failed as the pull from the portal at last sucked Zelena in, and the nurse heard her screaming until the portal finally closed behind her.


	38. Chapter 38

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Thirty-Eight

A few minutes earlier, within the Underworld…

"Robin!" Regina then cried upon seeing the man she loved, as well as their friends bound before her, then she immediately turned to face Hades again and began to shout angrily at the God. "What is this?! Your minions here going to burn them alive unless I agree to help you to open up that portal?"

"Now you know what happens if you refuse," the God answered her cruelly. "I wasn't counting on the opportunity to capture them too, but then… opportunity knocked. And here we are. So what will it be, Your Majesty? Your sister, who I swear on my own life that she will not be harmed, or your lover's and friends' deaths? There is no third option."

The archer struggled against his bindings while he shouted, "Regina… you can't! The baby!"

The Queen looked into Robin's eyes in worry as she struggled with the conflict within her, then Regina defeatedly reached out her hand for the wand she knew Hades was prepared to hand over to her and dismally responded to him saying, "I don't have a choice… I can't sacrifice your life, or our friends' lives either. I'm so sorry, Robin."

"Very good," Hades uttered smugly when he summoned the Sorcerer's wand into his hand and then gave it to her as she expected him to do. "I knew you would do the right thing. It's what heroes do."

"In case you didn't know already, the only way I can open a portal that will open directly to Zelena in our world, is by having something personal of hers… or something of meaning to her," Regina retorted coldly, while she turned her head to face the deity once again and then began to summon her own power within her to prepare to do as was needed of her. "A replica of something like her emerald necklace, or any other kind of twisted version of something down here won't work."

It was then that the Blind Witch stepped inside the farmhouse's entryway for a moment until she reappeared on the porch as she walked out again with a bicycle at her side, and Hades replied, "Luckily for me, I do have something that actually meant something to her from our time together. This bicycle once belonged to a young woman from Oz, whom your sister didn't get along with very well. But then… I enchanted it so that it would lead us to where this girl and her soon to be brainless friend had been trying to hide from her. We rode this bike together and Zelena and I had a marvelous time. I brought this bike down here from Oz because I knew she would appreciate it. All of Underbrooke, as you've so rightfully dubbed this town… it's all for her. Why else would I make this world look like your Storybrooke? So she and I will be able to rule over it all, and each of you, together. Just as she hoped to rule over your dreary small town until you knocked her down."

Once the Blind Witch wheeled the bicycle over to her and stepped back, Regina wrapped her hand around one of the bike's handlebars as she curtly stated, "You're delusional if you think my sister will chose to live down here in the land of the dead with you. Even if it is to rule. Let's get this over with."

At last, Regina raised the powerful wand above her head and twirled it through the air while she held firmly to the bicycle as well, then began to summon her magic through them as Hades joined his own power with hers to open up the portal that would hopefully bring the Wicked Witch down into the Underworld. Seconds passed by as the portal remained open while it continued to grow stronger, until a minute then turned to two. When Regina was about to accept she had failed the God and became afraid for her friends' lives once again, a woman's scream sounded from within the portal, then manifested as Zelena suddenly fell from above them until she landed safely in Hades' arms.

"Hello again, Zelena," he whispered gently while she stared at him in shock upon having been caught, until the witch swiftly struggled to break away from him and the deity carefully let go of her once he was sure she would remain upright. "You're still as beautiful as you ever were."

"Just what the hell have you done?!" she asked angrily as she glared at the man who caught her. "How did you bring me here? Where am I? And who are you?"

Regina scoffed as she mocked the God quietly, "That must have been some romance the two of you had."

Zelena turned her head to look behind her upon hearing her sister's voice and with surprise she questioned, "Regina? Was this you're doing? What's going on? You could have killed me and my baby!"

"You have Hades to blame all that on," the younger of the sisters answered brusquely. "I wasn't given much of a choice. If you would take a few seconds to breathe through your rage and take a look around you, a few of us are a bit tied up."

"Hades…" the Wicked Witch then uttered upon turning back around to face the deity again, then finally glanced between Robin, Smee, Grumpy, and August all still bound to the posts, while Pan and James continued to stand nearby with the torches in their hands. "Of course I remember you. Forgive me for feeling a little shaken by the sudden means of transport. You mean to tell me that I'm down… down in the Underworld? I thought I made it perfectly clear I never wanted to see you again!"

Hades was about to respond until Regina cut in as she spoke again saying, "Forgive me for not caring about whatever twisted thing there was between the two of you, but would you mind sending me and my friends back to where you dragged us away from so we don't have to listen to this? Or was that never a part of your plan?"

James laughed and then replied, "I say you should just get rid of them. Let us kill them so that they can't be a problem any longer like my no good brother of mine."

"Burning them at the stake is a bit morbid," the God answered darkly while those bound to the posts began to fight to break free again. "But then, this is the Underworld. While it's not Hell we're in, fire and brimstone does seem like a perfectly appropriate way for four heroes to die. Do it."

"No!" Regina screamed and immediately used her power to force David's twin wildly back through the air behind him to knock him off his feet before he could set fire to the man she loved, then rushed forward to try to help them until Hades suddenly raised a circle of fire around the Queen in order to keep her standing in place while she would be forced to watch as her friends died. "Robin!"

Pan lowered his torch at August's feet, but just as he was about to cry out upon feeling the flames, they immediately became extinguished when water suddenly splashed down on him from above, then he looked up in surprise upon seeing Tinker Bell appear as she flew over him and swiftly fired a pouch of pixie dust at the demon child's feet which swiftly knocked him out cold in a deep sleep. She then extinguished the flames surrounding Regina as well. David also appeared with his sword raised to fight, followed closely by Graham who had his own sword raised as he was prepared to help free his friends.

David quickly called out to the Queen as he shouted, "Regina… help Robin and the others!"

She immediately complied and swiftly began to free those bound using her magic to do so, while the Prince at last came face to face with his brother who had died before he had ever met him. Meanwhile, Graham turned on the Blind Witch until he was suddenly blasted back by her magic, causing him to crash into a tree behind him.

Regina saw this, then once she finished breaking away the ropes and freeing those she cared about, the Queen summoned another fireball in the palm of her hand and immediately fired it at the Blind Witch just like she had done back in the Enchanted Forest when her flame killed the vile woman. The fireball couldn't kill her or do much to harm her, but it was enough to make the crone growl angrily before she finally just vanished.

James raised his own sword when his twin approached him as he prepared himself for the long awaited confrontation, then he called out to David as he said smugly, "I've been waiting a long time for this moment, brother. I just didn't expect it to be like this."

"James…" Charming uttered apprehensively while he stared at the man standing in front of him. "I hoped we would have a chance to meet. But I don't want to fight you. Please, just lower your sword. We can talk. I want to get to know you."

"Well then you're going to be disappointed because I've been waiting a long time to make you pay for taking my life from me and becoming my father's son," his evil brother darkly responded.

David shouted at him angrily, "I never became your father's son! George is a villain and I left his clutches before he had the chance to manipulate me the way he manipulated you. Our real parents loved you and missed you every day. Especially our mother. Do you even care about that?"

James glared back at David while he replied, "How can I care about a woman's love when I was never around to feel it? Fight me!"

Before David could attempt to try to talk him down again, the other Prince charged at him as he screamed and their swords clashed. Both men were equal in their fighting skills, but thankfully August soon joined his friend with a staff and fought the villain with David's face alongside the hero. It didn't take long for them to knock James off his feet and the sword from his hand, then James finally gave up and ran off as soon as he could.

Tink flew down to Graham and helped him to stand again, then together they and Regina all turned to Hades and Zelena, who had been watching the fight between heroes and villains once again with amusement until each of those on the deity's side were all defeated, which made him more angry than amused.

"Your allies have failed you, Hades," Robin called out to the deity while he moved forward to stand beside the woman he loved. "Let Zelena go."

"Oh please…" the Wicked Witch grumbled as she rolled her eyes and continued to look out among the heroes who were now all standing together. "Try hard not to sound all noble on my account, Robbie. We all know that you care only about the child growing inside of me. If were it not for him or her, you certainly wouldn't hesitate to leave me behind. But I'm not ready to leave just yet. Especially not with any of you."

Regina stepped forward while she answered, "Zelena… Hades is an angry, cruel God who will only use you for whatever heart that's inside your chest and then once he's finished with you, he'll either make you some mistress who might be left alive if you're lucky, or he'll just kill you. And make you one anyways, or do worse like what he's done to Hook. Come with us. If not for yourself, for the sake of your baby."

Hades summoned a ball of his magic within his hand and then swiftly fired it at the heroes. However, the Huntsman immediately raised his enchanted sword again in front of himself and his friends and blocked the power to protect them. The God turned back to Zelena again and asked her if she would come with him to talk.

Regina spoke again as she pleaded, "Please… just listen to me!"

"Sorry, Regina," her sister responded haughtily while she reached out to take the hand Hades then offered to her. "But the choice is mine. And I think I'd prefer the company of a God over yours. Besides, I can't say I'm not curious about what he has to offer me. I suggest you get out of here."

"Tell Captain Hook that I'll be collecting him again before too long," the deity smugly replied to them, then used his power to vanish with Zelena, leaving the heroes be to return to the rest of their friends waiting for them.


	39. Chapter 39

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Back in Storybrooke…

Early into the next evening, Mr. Gold knocked on the front door of the house which he's owned since everyone was first brought over from the Enchanted Forest in the Evil's Queen dark curse and Storybrooke was first created, then Belle opened the door to him and the former villain was pleasantly taken aback by her beauty. Not surprised, as he saw her beauty even underneath the dust which used to cover her when she had been his maid in his castle years ago. Just astounded. She appeared before him wearing a deep blue evening gown and her hair pulled back and pinned into a bun behind her head, with loose ringlets hanging down over her ears.

He looked into her eyes and smiled, then whispered gently, "You look absolutely stunning, Belle. I am most certainly grateful you requested we try another restaurant in town that isn't Granny's. That gown is far too elegant for a diner we've all eaten at a thousand times."

The beauty smiled at him in return, then she accepted his arm as the shopkeeper raised it for her to take and guided her down from the porch, all while she sincerely responded, "Thank you, Rumple. And you look quite dashing yourself. I've always loved seeing you in that suit. It's the suit you were wearing when I first stepped foot in your shop the day Jefferson released me from Regina's prison cell and told me you could protect me."

"I'm surprised you remember a detail as trivial as what I was wearing that day," Gold replied as they began to walk down the street towards the center of town. "I must say I don't recall ever going to Tony's since our arrival here. What made you decide to try someplace different?"

"It was Henry's suggestion actually," she answered him, continuing to walk alongside him while she kept her eyes mostly on the street in front of her feet. "I was talking to him last night down on the beach. I couldn't sleep. Neither could he. Strangely enough, we both wound up in the same place at the same time."

He looked over at her as he questioned, "Why couldn't you sleep? Are you alright?"

Belle finally looked over at him again as she responded, "Yes... It's nothing really. I suppose it's just that I'm sad about Killian. It's tragic how he died. I still can't help but wonder if my going to the others for help in saving you that night had something to do with him having to sacrifice everything by taking the darkness into himself."

"I told you, what happened was not your fault, Belle," he assured her. "It was no one's fault, except for perhaps mine for allowing the darkness to take over me for as long and as deeply as it had. If I had allowed you to help me fight it long ago, none of this would have happened. Though Hook and I were never friends, nor do I suspect we ever will be because of our pasts together… I am sorry about how he died. And I suppose… I am grateful to him as well."

At last, they arrived at Tony's Restaurant and walked inside as they were seated at their table by the host. At a few tables away, Abigail… or as she was better known in Storybrooke as Kathryn, sat with her husband Frederick… or Jim, as he was known. They appeared to be out on a date themselves.

"This restaurant is lovely," the beauty stated as the waiter came over to offer the couple some wine, then took their order before walking away again to prepare it for them. "I'm glad Henry suggested it. I've come here before, but most of the time I'm perfectly satisfied with eating at Granny's. She knows how to make a mean burger."

"Yes… I've have them many times and you're right," he replied, then took a sip of wine before continuing to talk with the woman he loved.

Their date was going wonderfully throughout the next couple of hours, as Belle and Gold spoke of many things, from the days from their pasts both while they were together and before they ever met, to what they hoped to come from their relationship from this evening and moving onward. Unfortunately, the peace didn't last much longer, when Jim and Kathryn finished their own date and started to leave.

When they walked by Belle after Gold stepped outside for a moment to purchase his wife a red rose from a flower girl selling her roses in front of the restaurant, they stopped a moment to say hello, then continued to leave as the shopkeeper returned. However, Jim accidentally stumbled over Gold's cane and knocked it out from under the older man, causing him to fall against the floor with a sharp cry of pain.

Jim and Kathryn both immediately apologized while they helped Gold to stand, but the former Dark One became angry despite their apology and startled them, as well as Belle when he furiously retorted, "Your apology means nothing! You stupid oaf! You had better watch where you're going from now on."

Jim nodded apprehensively and answered, "You're right. But for whatever it's worth to you, it was an accident. I am sorry again. Come on, Kathryn. Goodnight, Belle. I'm sorry for disrupting your evening too."

"I'm so sorry," Kathryn added softly as Belle nodded in understanding, then the other woman quickly followed after her husband when Jim reached out to wrap his arms around her so they could leave together.

"This damn leg," Gold uttered darkly as he struggled to sit down again and tossed his cane against the wall beside him, letting it clatter onto the floor. "It wouldn't be a problem if…"

He finally cut himself off upon seeing the look of disappointment and sadness in Belle's eyes as she stared down at the table in front of her, then his countenance softened and Gold whispered, "Belle… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to go off on them like that. It's just..."

This time, Belle interrupted, "Rumple… Kathryn and Jim are my friends and it hurts me you would treat them in such a horrendous manner. Do you have any idea how humiliating that was? Do you even care that you not only hurt them, but me as well?"

"Of course I care," he responded in concern. "It was wrong of me and I hate that there's still a darkness inside of me that doesn't come from the entity which once possessed my body. If only you could understand that I am trying not to allow my anger to get the better of me as it did just now."

"If the darkness was still a part of you, I might have been able to look past your outburst just now," Belle replied to him in return and then stood up from the table to leave. "I do understand that you're struggling with adjusting to living without it, Rumple. But you no longer can use it as an excuse or a crutch like you always used to. You have to try harder. I'm sorry this evening had to end this way."

Gold immediately reached out to grab her arm as Belle started to walk away, then attempted to give her the rose he had gotten for her until she refused to take it and spoke again saying, "Until you apologize to Jim and Kathryn, I don't want to see you unless it's just in passing. I love you, but I won't stand for you mistreating my friends."

Once she was gone, the waiter came over to their table again to begin to clean up the wine and water that had spilled while he asked Gold if he wished for anything more, to which Gold answered despondently, "No… thank you. I'm sorry for the disturbance."

With that said, Rumplestiltskin stood again as he pulled his change purse he carried around his neck and tossed down a few coins on the table to pay for their dinner, as well as the broken glasses and dishes that came about because of his temper. And then without another word, he walked out and returned to his shop where he spent the rest of the night thinking over how what started out as a wonderful evening with the love of his life, ended up so terribly wrong.


	40. Chapter 40

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Forty

Later, inside Alice's cottage…

Emma continued to sit with Lila in the other room across from where Killian's mother and brother stayed with the man she loved over the next couple of hours, keeping her eyes on them while she spoke with the woman she was starting to get to know. They both ignored Cruella, who remained tied up and gagged only a few feet away from them, as the two women discussed how several of their friends had gotten captured when the fight broke out, then tried to come up with a plan of action in case those who went after them to save them failed and none of them returned.

Thankfully, it never came down to them having to do so, as a heavy knock suddenly sounded on the door and Liam immediately rushed over to open it to them. All of their friends entered the cottage and Emma walked over to embrace her father when David saw her awake again, then pulled her into his arms.

"I'm so happy you're okay," she whispered when he did so. "When I woke up and found you weren't here, and learned about the attack…"

"I'm sorry," he replied quietly, then Emma pulled back as she looked around to make sure that everyone made it back safely and that they were okay too. "But they needed my help and the truth was, just sitting by waiting for you and Hook to wake up again was making me feel useless. Are you alright? And Hook?"

Emma turned her head towards Killian who had fallen asleep again, this time in rest and then she responded sadly, "I'm fine. At least physically and I'm well rested. But Killian… He's far from okay, Dad. I mean, he's awake… or he was until a little bit ago, and he knows I'm real and that we've really come for him. It's just that he's afraid. Not for himself of course, but for us. He got pretty agitated when he overheard Lila explaining how some of you had gotten captured, while the rest of you left to save them. He's upset we risked our lives to come down here for him. Killian's also in a lot of pain. But he won't admit it or ask any of us for help."

The Prince rubbed her back in comfort as he turned towards the Jones family across from them as well and then stated, "At least he's safe and past the worst. Now you just need to convince him he deserves to be saved. And you will."

Sensing there was something troubling him when she turned her head to look up at his face again, the Savior asked, "Are you sure everyone's alright? Was anyone hurt?"

"Not badly," David answered quietly. "A few cuts and bruises. That's it. It's just… I finally met my brother. He was working for Hades along with Cruella here, Pan, and the Blind Witch. I tried talking with him, but he wouldn't listen to me. He's angry. And he wants me dead because he thinks I stole his life."

"Do you expect him to try to come after you?" his daughter questioned again.

"I'm not really sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if he did," he replied in frustration, then sighed. "Go on… you should go in and sit with Hook. By the way, did he have a chance to talk with his mother and Liam before he fell back asleep?"

Emma nodded as she responded, "He did. At least for a little while until Killian seemed to get upset with something they talked about. I have a pretty good idea what it was, but I'll talk with him about it later once he wakes up. Why did Hades send his minions and furies to kidnap Regina?"

Upon hearing her friend's question, the Queen turned around to face them as she answered curtly, "He needed my help in bringing Zelena down here. Which I did because Hades left me no choice. He was going to kill our friends by burning them alive."

"What does he want with Zelena?" the Savior continued to ask. "How'd you even do it?"

"Apparently, my sister and Hades had some wild romance some time ago up in our world however brief it might have been," Regina replied with a hint of disgust in her voice. "Since you've refused to give him your heart, Emma… Hades is going to try to make that witch fall in love with him all over again. I'm not sure what he's really after, but it's not love. I just hope she's smart enough to see through his lies. I may hate her, but she's still pregnant with Robin's child. But we can finish talking later. Go see Hook like your father said. It looks like he's waking up again."

Emma turned towards the room and quietly walked over to the bed where she stood at the bottom of while she looked over at Liam and Alice after they rose to check on Killian when he began to stir, then asked, "Would you mind if I took over again for awhile?"

Alice laid her hand over her youngest's arm when he weakly nodded his head to let her know he was okay with it, then she and his brother walked away to leave them alone. Emma walked around to the right side of his bed so she could take his hand again and did so. Killian just turned his head and looked up the woman he loved the best he could while he waited for her to speak.

The Savior smiled down at him until she nervously asked, "How are you feeling? Can I get you anything? Some water, or… well, under the circumstances, rum would help you with the pain a little."

"No… I'm not thirsty," he responded to her frailly, then closed his eye when the pain across his back and his chest flared up once more until it finally settled. "Not even for rum. As hard as that is to believe. I'm fine. Your father… the others… Have they returned yet? Are they sa… safe?"

"They've all made it back safe and sound," she said to him assuredly.

Killian nodded and took a few breaths in and out to try to help ease his pain a little, then spoke reluctantly as he said, "I apol… apologize… for my rudeness earlier, Emma. It's just that I… I didn't give my life, expecting you to save me. Nor did I want you too. I've done… terrible things and maybe… maybe you can forgive me, but I can't. And I can't live any longer. I've already live… lived for two hundred years. Far longer than any man has a right to. What we shared…"

Emma began to cry silently while he spoke until she cut him off as she spoke to him more firmly saying, "Please don't tell me that the few years we've shared together is all we were meant to have. It's not true."

A tear slipped down from Killian's eye as well while he answered, "I'm not strong like you are, Emma. I never was. I'm we… weak. Weak from the moment the darkness entered my body… and weak the rest of my life before I met you. I was only able to fight off my inner darkness… because I had deluded myself into believing I was bet… better. Because I wanted to be with you. But the things I've done… I've done… I still want to be with you. However, I can't be selfish anymore."

"You're not being selfish for wanting to be alive and wanting to be with the woman you love!" the Savior replied more curtly than she intended to be with him. "Even if it is selfish, who cares? I don't. You're not the villain you see yourself as. You're a hero to me. What about me in all this? Don't I get a say about what I want? I want you, Killian. You make me better than I was without you in my life. You brought me back home to the place where I've always belonged and helped me to make peace with my past and the things I kept blaming my parents for. My family… Our friends… Don't you understand? Storybrooke is your home too. Not here. Not in this… this Hell. Your fate doesn't have to be determined here in the Underworld. We decide our own fates. Remember? You helped teach me that. You just have to find a way to forgive yourself. Please… please let me help you."

Killian looked into her eyes in despair for only a few seconds more, until he finally just turned his head away from her and closed his eye as a way to show Emma he was through talking. The Savior wiped the tears from her eyes and then stepped away to return to the other room where her father and their friends were talking quietly amongst each other.

"Are you okay?" David asked his daughter in concern upon seeing how red her eyes were from crying, when she sat down beside him on the couch. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," she whispered darkly so that he was the only one who could really hear her other than Tinker Bell who was now sitting on her other side, and coincidentally Cruella who was bound behind her, while Emma raised her eyes to look up at both Alice and Liam who were also sitting among them. "That didn't go as well as I hoped. I couldn't even ask him about what was said between him, Liam, and their mother. But I'm betting it has to do with a secret Liam's keeping from him from their time under Silver's control. He and Hades told me something pretty awful while I was in their company. Killian's shutting himself down. Dad… how did you and Mom know your love for each other was true love? I mean, really know?"

David looked over at her as he responded, "I thought we've told you this?"

Emma nodded as she answered, "You did, but… please just remind me."

"Your mother and I saved each other's lives the first time we ever met," he replied while the Prince turned away and thought of his wife. "Then, I told her about my mother's ring and how it was meant for the woman I would one day truly love. The moment Snow snatched the ring from my hand and tried it on her own finger… I knew then and there that I would never love another. It might have taken her a bit longer to learn we were true loves for ourselves, but I think it was when I took her arrow in my shoulder meant to kill the Evil Queen so I could prove my love to her and break the Dark One's spell she was under… I'm pretty sure that's when she knew it too. We've been on so many adventures together and we fight to be together no matter what happens. Just like you and Hook do for each other. What you share… must be true love as well."

"Maybe, but how do I prove that to him?" the Savior questioned sadly as she looked back towards the man she loved still lying in the other room. "Right now he doesn't understand why I love him and his love for me isn't enough. He thinks loving me is selfish because he believes that I deserve better. But if I could somehow… prove our love is true for his sake, it might be enough to give him something to fight for."

It was then that Cruella grumbled something through the gag in her mouth keeping her from talking, as everyone in the room stopped talking when they all turned their heads to stare at the vile woman. She attempted to talk to them again when no one said anything to her, or made a move to pull the gag away.

Finally, Regina stood up from the floor where she sat beside Robin and at last pulled the cloth away while she uttered, "What is it, dog hater? I thought the gag in your mouth made it pretty clear that we didn't want to hear your voice again."

Cruella sneered, "You've made your point quite clear, Regina darling. However, your Savior here was just sickeningly talking about needing to find a way to prove what she and the pirate share is true love. There's a chance, that I might know of something."

"What would you know about true love?" Emma retorted angrily when she also moved to stand beside the Queen, as did David and Tink.

"Nothing," the villain stated honestly. "But I've heard talk of a test that's here somewhere in the Underworld. A test of true love. It's only a rumor mind you, but one that used to give many of us souls hope long ago until the rumors simply… ceased to be spread around."

David looked at her in disbelief as he skeptically uttered, "Yet you just happened to have heard this rumor?"

Cruella glared at him while she curtly asked, "Do you wish to hear the rest of what I know, or not?"

"Go on," Regina retorted. "What was this rumor?"

"Ah… ah…" the evil woman then answered smugly. "My information doesn't come for free, my darlings. If you want to know, then you have to set me free."

The Queen scoffed as she replied, "Not a chance. Hades already knows where we are, but we won't give you the opportunity to leave so you can go right back to him and tell him anything you might have overheard us talking about to feed him any information."

Emma immediately recanted as she responded, "It doesn't matter. Nothing she might have overheard from us can do much more to hurt us. Cruella, if what you tell us leads me to finding a way to help Killian, then we'll set you free."

"You're going to have to let me go as soon as I tell you what I know, or there will be no deal, Savior," Cruella said again snidely. "I assure you, the information I have is something you will want to hear. It might not only give lover boy a will to live, but perhaps even the chance to live again. Do you agree?"

"Fine," the Savior answered, then used her magic to release their prisoner from her bindings. "Now… what do you know?"

The villainess grinned, then she spoke smugly again saying, "Somewhere deep down within the furthest depths of this world, there's a bit of magic that restores life to a soul who's become trapped down here. No one knows for sure what. Rumors once spoke of one man from the land of the living who came down here to save his own love and succeeded. The only reason why I haven't traveled down there to see for myself if it's true, is because there's supposedly a test. To ensure only those who are worthy can reach it. It requires one to offer up their heart for judgement. We all know I have no heart. Quite unfortunate for me. However, it sounds to me like it's a test of true love, doesn't it?"

Everyone glared at Cruella while Regina skeptically replied, "For mere rumors that you claim have faded away into nothingness, you seem to know a lot."

"She's telling the truth," Emma strongly responded upon using her superpower to see if the woman was lying while she had spoken.

"Emma… I know that every part of you wants to believe this to be true, but it's possible your superpower is telling you she's speaking the truth only because your heart wants it to be so badly," David answered his daughter worryingly. "And even if it is true, it could be just another of Hades' traps. More souls surely would have tried to find this magic unless it's extremely dangerous, which I have no doubt that it is. Besides, if we can just reach the dock where Charon dropped us off, that will lead us to the portal home, we won't need that magic whatever it is. We can save Hook up in our world. We can't…"

She motioned for Cruella to leave, then looked back at David again once the villainess was gone as she stated, "I have to try. It may be the only chance I have to save him. I can't unless I can convince him and myself our love is true love. I'm willing to risk this, just so I can convince Killian of what he has to fight for. Even if we can't get to this magical artifact, or whatever it is this test is required for. If you tell me there's another way, I won't go. If you tell me we can escape from here with Killian and then believe that he'll be able to recover from all of this, I won't go. Can you? Can you promise me that?"

Her father shook his head sadly and then replied, "No. No, I can't. I may hate it, but my own heart's telling me you're right, Emma."

"Okay… so should these so called rumors be true, how do we find this entrance down in the deepest depths of the Underworld?" Regina questioned while she looked worryingly between both Emma and David.

"Leave that to Lila and me," Graham responded, then finally pulled the boat in the bottle they had taken from Hades' lair and handed it over to David. "We'll send word back to you once we've found it and you can meet us there. By the way, this boat can be your passage home. For when you're finally able to leave this world."

David nodded and said quietly, "Thank you."

The Huntsman answered, "You're welcome."


	41. Chapter 41

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Forty-One

Zelena was sitting down at an elegant table setting which Hades summoned up for her within his throne room so they could share a meal together while they talked, which brought the Wicked Witch into the back of her mind after the God vanished to collect something, while she remembered the last moment shared between them, as Hades had prepared dinner for her then too in hope of showing her just how it was he truly felt for her. Or at least, how he supposedly felt towards her in his own mind.

Some time ago in Oz…

 _When the Wicked Witch returned to her castle within Emerald City upon finally succeeding in taking the Scarecrow's brain and defeating Dorothy, she was surprised to find the man she had to admit she was coming to care for, as he was for her, standing before her with an elegant feast prepared, while the God stated, "There you are."_

 _She looked at him anxiously as she questioned, "What's this?"_

 _"Dinner," he answered straightly and blew on one of the candles in his hands to ignite a flame, then did the same with the other. "To celebrate."_

 _"You saw?" she asked smugly as she smiled up at him._

 _Hades placed the candles on the table and proudly replied, "Of course I saw. You were wonderful. I knew you'd succeed. Come. Sit."_

 _Zelena walked towards him and took the seat he offered to her with his help as she responded, "So… is this also a farewell dinner… before you return?"_

 _"No," he answered plainly. "I'm not going back to the Underworld, Zelena."_

 _"But you said you needed…" she began upon feeling confused by his answer, until it dawned on her what the deity was trying to tell her, and she blushed at the thought. "Oh."_

 _Hades saw that she understood as he stated, "Yes."_

 _The Wicked Witch questioned him again while she nervously asked, "So, you think that you and me are…"_

 _"True love," he quickly replied to her as he walked around her so that they could look into one another's eyes. "You can't tell me you don't feel something, too."_

 _"Yes, but we just met," she responded in confusion._

 _The God of the Underworld knelt down in front of her, and she just stared at him while he answered, "I know, I know. But when we were on that bicycle… and I had my arms around you… I felt something I haven't felt in eons. My…"_

 _Hades let out a nervous sigh and then he continued, "…my heart… fluttered. Just for a moment. And I truly believe… once we kiss… my heart will start again. I'll be free. And we can be together."_

 _He then leaned into kiss her as she started to lean towards him as well upon falling for his charm for a brief moment, until Zelena suddenly pulled away and stood up while she uttered bitterly, "No!"_

 _"No?" the deity questioned out of confusion as he stood as well when she stepped away from him. "What?"_

 _"How could I be so stupid?!" the witch with green skin rhetorically asked herself._

 _Hades shook his head while he asked, "What… what are you talking about?"_

 _Zelena chuckled and replied, "I almost believed you."_

 _"It's the truth," the God tried to assure her. "I promise!"_

 _The Wicked Witch glared at him coldly and then angrily responded, "You want me to kiss you to free you from the Underworld! And then you'll have the power to steal this brain and enact my time travel spell… for you! And only you!"_

 _She let out a frustrated sigh, then added, "Because that's what I would do."_

 _"No," he said again._

 _"You want revenge and until you get it, you will never be satisfied," Zelena continued darkly, while Hades' anger and his own hate began to rise again from deep inside him. "You need this spell. You need to go back to beat your brother, just like I need to go back to beat my sister! Love is not enough!"_

 _He kept his anger in check as he retorted, "No, Zelena. I don't want that anymore. I want you."_

 _When he walked around the table to stand before her he gently whispered, "I love you."_

 _The witch fought to keep her tears at bay and then answered miserably, "No one could love me. But if you did… you wouldn't want to take away my best chance at revenge. Go back to your brimstone. I never want to see your face again."_

 _"You will regret this… Zelena," Hades replied bitterly after he took a few steps back in defeat and then vanished from her sight within his burning flames._

Back in the present…

"Forgive me for making you wait," the deity apologized upon his return, startling her from her thoughts, which she quickly pushed aside and looked up at him when he walked around to stand in front of her. "It's just that I had one matter of business to take care of that I had put off until now. Is there something wrong? Is the food not satisfactory?"

She shook her head and then responded worryingly, "It's all fine. It's just… the last time you and I were talking, in a setting just like this, you threatened me. You told me I would pay for refusing to accept your love. Is that why I'm here now? So you can kill me?"

Hades looked down on her sadly while he asked, "If there was a part of you that believed I had brought you down here for revenge, why did you agree to come with me instead of remaining with your sister?"

"While I'm not certain of your motives here, I enjoyed the satisfaction in displeasing Regina," the Wicked Witch answered haughtily while he laughed, then poured her a glass of wine, as well as one for himself. "Besides, while you may be a God, I damn well know how to care for myself. Tell me… if revenge on me isn't what you're after, why have you really brought me here?"

"Because I still love you," he replied to her again with sincerity in his voice and in his eyes. "And because… I wanted to prove it to you by allowing you to help me destroy these heroes, including your sister. For you. I'll admit it's for my satisfaction too, but I know you'll be happy once you're freed from them forever. I was angry with you for rejecting me, Zelena. But over these many years since our time we spent together in Oz, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. I couldn't stop loving you. I don't want to. And now… there isn't a time travel spell, a brain for me to steal from you, or a pesky little girl from Kansas standing in the way of our love."

Zelena looked into his eyes as she sought out any hint of deception in them, then upon finding that he appeared to be speaking the truth, she responded quietly, "A lot's changed for me since then. First of all… I'm with child. With Robin Hood's child and while I hold no feelings for him whatsoever…"

The God quickly spoke again saying, "I know. I've been keeping my eye on you. To make sure you stayed safe. And because I missed you. I know you're worried that archer and your sister will succeed in taking your baby away from you. But if you'll let me, I can protect you. And like I said before, we can destroy them so they will no longer be a threat to you and your child."

"If you truly love me… or perhaps in time you could learn to truly love me, true love's kiss will restart my heart and then I will be free to join you in your world where we can live happily," Hades continued steadfastly. "We can rule over Storybrooke as you've always wanted ever since Regina first cast her dark curse. However, until you can find it in your heart to love me… to save me from my own hell… I made a large part of the Underworld in the image of Storybrooke for you. We can live here and you will be well cared for. You and your baby. You can terrorize everyone to your heart's content."

"I need some time to think about all that you're proposing here," she said again in worry after she took a few spoonfuls of the soup he conjured up for her. "Secondly, there's still the matter of your revenge against your brother. And I can't tell you I love you, or give you true love's kiss now because I don't love you."

The God shook his head as he answered, "I know you might not think so now, Zelena. I know you're scared, but don't deny you feel something for me. Even after all these years. I can see it in your eyes. Surely, it's why you agreed to come with me so we can talk. As for my vengeance… I can let it go. I already have. I'll prove it to you. I won't push you into anything. I never want to hurt you, but all I ask is that you take time to think about what I'm offering you here. You have all the time you need. Go out and look at what I've created for you. Terrorize some of my souls and help me to defeat those who have come down here to take what belongs to me."

The Wicked Witch glanced at him again while they continued eating, then uttered, "You mean… Captain Hook? I knew he had been killed. So his soul must be down here, which must be the reason why the Savior and Regina are here. The others too, of course."

"That's right," he replied. "I've set a trap for him and his Savior in motion should they fall for the bait I've laid out for them."

"Which they have," Cruella responded when she suddenly appeared before them upon entering the God's lair.

Hades laughed, then gloated, "I knew Emma wouldn't be able to resist. Soon, I'll finally have my slave back."

He magicked a bottle of gin into the vile woman's hands as a reward for her help as she smiled and then said, "Thank you, Hades."


	42. Chapter 42

Hook… I Will Always Love You

Chapter Forty-Two

Three nights passed since Emma learned about the test that could help Killian find the strength to live again. Unfortunately, he had barely spoken to her since then. It wasn't because he was still angry with her. It wasn't like he was really angry with her in the first place. But she knew and understood that his silence was because he was really hurting, both physically and mentally. So, she gave him the time and space he needed to rest and to heal. Emma also didn't push him to talk to her any longer until he was ready, because doing so had only hurt him more.

However, the Savior remained at his bedside to watch over the man she loved in hope that just her being there with him would help give him comfort and the assurance he needed to know that he wasn't trapped in the Underworld alone like he had believed days ago. Upon staying with him, she was grateful to discover that his wounds had slowly begun to heal on their own. His eye was finally healed enough so that he could open it and see out of again. At last, her patience was rewarded when Killian awoke again while he opened both of his eyes and looked up at her with a smile, then weakly reached up to lay his hand over hers, which she's kept upon the top of his chest.

"You still haven't given up on me," he whispered gently while Emma laid her other hand over his as well.

"I told you I never would," she responded to him in sincerity. "I love you far too much to let your frustrations and fear for my safety push me away."

Killian sighed, then he quietly answered, "A part of me feared you still might have been another figment of my torment. I'm sorry, Emma. I didn't mean to hurt you before. I never wish to hurt you. I'm just afraid."

The Savior continued to hold his hand with the one he had taken moments ago, while she reached up to tenderly begin to caress the side of his face with the other and then with understanding she replied, "I know you are. But you needn't be. Nothing's going to happen to me or anyone else. You want to know how it is I know that? Because Henry's reminded me and Regina time after time that good will always win over evil. And he's right. We always have."

"Yes… but that doesn't mean any of you are invincible," he responded sadly. "We've lost good people in other fights… friends of ours."

"Believe me, I know," Emma stated sadly when she gripped his hand tighter. "You're right. But we're safe, Killian. We are and we'll remain safe because we're all looking out for one another. Our friends all made it back safely from having been captured, remember?"

He nodded and then struggled to sit up while Emma quickly helped him do so by adjusting the pillows behind his back and his head. When Killian looked ahead of him, he saw that only his mother and brother were there with them, then his eyes fell on Liam, until he turned away and stared down at the stub end of his left arm.

Emma noticed the hurt that appeared in his eyes as he looked at his brother, but before she could ask him what was wrong, he quickly asked, "Where is everyone?"

"They had something to do that's going to help us find a way out of here," she answered him with assurance, then pulled away the blankets covering the upper half of his body in order to check on his wounds again and was happy to see they were healing faster than they would were Killian alive, most likely because it was his soul that was wounded and not his body. "They're okay. I promise. What's happened between you and your brother, Killian?"

"It's a long story," Killian replied sadly without looking at her. "I've recently found out that the man I had been while in the Royal Navy was all based on merits I never earned because of a mistake Liam made years before he died. And my freedom from servitude came at far too high a cost. Hades taunted me. Forced a memory between him and Liam into my head to prove my brother wasn't the man I thought him to be… to hurt me. And it worked. I didn't want to believe it, but Liam only confirmed it the other night. I wanted to be every bit the man that he was. But I only ever failed. Liam had a chance to save himself once and join the Royal Navy earlier, but he stayed for my sake. Because I got drunk the night before and gambled away what little money I had earned. I never could reach the bar he set for me. In my eyes, he could do no wrong and it only put more pressure on him to do as he did. And he lied to me. That's what really hurts."

The Savior looked at him again sadly while she responded, "I know about what happened. Hades told me. I'm so sorry, Killian. However, you shouldn't blame yourself for dealing with the pain the only way you could at the time. I can't imagine how painful your days in servitude had to have been. For all we know, I might have done the same as you had I been sold into slavery like you had been. But don't stay mad at your brother. He was always there for you. He made the choice to accept Hades' deal that night and while I'm not excusing his choice because it was wrong, he mostly did it to protect you. That was the only part of what he did he didn't regret, I'm sure of it. And you're wrong if you really believe you didn't earn your place as a lieutenant with the Royal Navy. Liam told me about the kind of man you were once you became a free man. He said you excelled and I believe him. He was proud to have you working under him among his crew."

Killian looked into her eyes and nodded his head, but before he could speak again, he and Emma were interrupted when Liam walked to the door, pulling his jacket on as he prepared to leave, then Alice rushed up behind him while she cried out, "Please, Liam… You can't go. It's dangerous out there."

"I have to go, Mother," Liam answered curtly once he turned around again to face her while her eyes pleaded with him not to go. "I need to find our father. I have to finally confront him like I should have done centuries ago. After Killian told us of what he had been forced to do because of that bastard…"

"I wasn't forced to kill him, Liam," the youngest Jones suddenly called out to him while he struggled to stand from the bed so he could move over to them with Emma's help, as she gently wrapped his left arm across her shoulders and her arm around his back to help keep him upright. "I unleashed my rage when every part of me screamed I should have just let him go like I had intended to do. I let my hate for him get the better of me and I've always deeply regretted it. But I was too full of rage and hate to ever attempt to make things right. If you go to confront him… Please don't make the same mistake I made. Don't confront him feeling that same rage."

Alice looked between her sons regretfully until she finally spoke again in despair as she confessed, "Your father isn't here… in the Underworld any longer. You won't find him, Liam."

The older brother looked at her darkly as he questioned, "What do you mean, he's not here any longer? After what he did to Killian and me… after hurting his youngest son so badly that Killian saw no other choice but to kill him? He can't possibly have moved on from here."

"He didn't move on in peace," she replied curtly as she kept her eyes between her two sons, refusing to look over at the Savior. "I made sure of that. After Hades came to me to let me know your father had died years ago, I mustered up the courage I needed to finally confront him myself about what he had done to you boys. But then like he did with you the night you killed him, Killian… he tried to justify why he did to you boys what he did. And I hated him. He wasn't the man I once loved. I asked Hades to help me punish him, and he brought your father and I to that fiery pit your Queen had spoken of. The pit that leads to the worse place. And then I… I pushed your father into those fires. I didn't regret it back then, but over the years my decision to do so have haunted me and I was afraid to tell either of you the truth… for fear that you would come to hate me too."

"Why would Hades agree to do something like this for you?" Killian asked her in confusion and with dread. "Why did you think you could ask him for a favor?"

Alice looked into her youngest's eyes with shame while she responded, "Because I was his mistress. He made me a deal just like he did your brother. I only agreed to it when he promised he would look after you boys. And Liam's deal... it was because of me. Hades freed you from your servitude like he did to help you for me. I am so sorry. I didn't tell you about this either, because I was ashamed. Killian, you were already hurting so badly..."

Killian shook his head as he angrily retorted, "Don't… I can't do this now."

"Now do you understand why I can't stop blaming myself for all I've done, Emma?" he then questioned when he looked towards the woman he loved in an anger that was aimed towards himself, while he pushed away from her. "Because everyone I love… everyone I care about are all suf… suffering because of the decisions I've made!"

"Killian!" Emma cried fearfully when he doubled over in pain and collapsed to the floor as she immediately rushed over to him again to try to help him.

Liam was about to join her, until large stones and pieces of wood all lit on fire suddenly crashed through the front windows of the cottage, startling those inside especially when the fire began to spread through the rooms. Alice and her oldest quickly began to attempt to put the fires out, only more of the weapons used to burn the cottage continued to be thrown in by their assailants waiting for them outside.

Killian quickly looked up at Emma from the floor as he whispered urgently, "Help Liam and our mother. Please!"

The Savior nodded and released her hold on the man she loved when she rose back to her feet, then summoned her magic through her to try to put out the flames now throughout the house. However, as she was doing so, the front door suddenly crashed in and Silver's crew rushed inside while two of the men grabbed Killian from the floor, then began to drag him out with them. A few others broke in to grab Liam as well, while he and Alice fought against them to no avail. As soon as their mother was outside, two more pirates grabbed her as well and the three of them were dragged off.

Silver on the other hand entered the cottage through a window in the back so he could sneak up on the woman in love with one of his slaves and swiftly struck her across the back of her head from behind while she was distracted once she saw Killian was in trouble, then stopped trying to put out the flames to try to help him, only to be rendered unconscious before she could.

Once outside of the burning cottage, the crew under Captain Silver's command dragged Emma, Killian, Liam, and Alice all away until they finally arrived upon the cliff above the fiery pit where many souls were lost to the worse place, then dragged the brothers Jones out onto the edge. Emma, who had weakly come to shortly after she had been knocked out, discovered her hands were tied behind her back to prevent her from using her magic against them, and Alice struggled against the men keeping firm holds on them to keep them from breaking free to help the two slaves.

 _Killian stood closest to the fire below them, while Liam stood between him and their former slave master, then finally Silver looked between them as he spoke smugly saying, "It's time to walk the plank."_

 _"I'll gladly walk it," Liam answered bravely in hope of protecting his brother. "Just spare Killian, please. He has nothing to do with this."_

 _"He should've gone down along with the ship, like the rest of us," Silver replied to him cruelly. "And now he finally will."_

 _The older Jones turned around to face his brother with remorse in his eyes over his own pain he had caused him as he looked at him, then he whispered, "I'm sorry, Killian. I wanted to be this perfect example for you… to inspire you."_

 _Though a large part of him understood why Liam had done what he did that night so long ago, the smaller part of him that was still angry despite the peril they were in was what came out as Killian brusquely responded, "All you did was raise the bar so high, the only thing I could do was fail."_

 _"No more talking!" Silver suddenly shouted again curtly while he grinned and his crewmen laughed. "Time to face justice, boys."_

 _Finally, Captain Silver and crew were about to force Killian and Liam into the boiling sea below where they stood on the cliff's edge as Emma screamed Killian's name, until Hades suddenly appeared in his blue fire before them between the Captain and Liam, then questioned scornfully, "Did someone decide to have a party and forget to invite me?"_

 _"Lord… Lord Hades," Silver uttered nervously as he turned around with surprise on his face to look at Hades until the God quickly blew the weaker Captain off the cliff into the fire below._

 _"No!" Silver screamed as he fell, while Hades simply chuckled until he turned back to Liam and Killian, as Liam stood protectively before his brother._

"And now for the Brothers Jones," he continued coldly while he stepped a few feet further in their direction, looking between both men as he spoke. "One of them helped the Savior here and the rest of the heroes to free his brother, while the other escaped from my dungeon. And for that… he has to pay. I did have other plans for him, but this is better. At last, we'll see the end of Captain Hook and this time, Liam… you won't be able to protect him."

The older Jones turned his head towards Killian's direction without actually turning around to look back at him, until he stood up to Hades for the first time since the night they had struck their deal, as Liam firmly answered, "No! I won't let you hurt Killian again. You can do with me whatever you want. I don't care anymore."

 _The God smiled, then replied callously, "Fine. Have it your way."_

 _"No!" Killian desperately shouted when Hades suddenly blew again and this time sent Liam over the edge like Silver, but the younger Jones swiftly reacted as he spun and managed to catch Liam's hand to stop him from falling into the fiery pit which lead to the worse place, while Emma and Alice cried out for them and could only look on in fear. "Liam, please… hang on."_

 _"I'm sorry, brother," his brother called out to him, keeping his eyes on Killian, who struggled to keep holding onto him. "Can you forgive me for what I've done?"_

 _The youngest Jones wept as he felt himself losing his grip and responded, "Yes, but that's not what's important. You need to find a way to forgive yourself."_

 _Liam answered, "I can't, not after what I did to you. The only way to make amends is for me to pay the price."_

 _"No… No! Liam!" Killian shouted dreadfully as the older Jones let go of his brother's hand, causing Liam to fall into the fires of Hell and while in shock, Hook then turned to face Hades until the room suddenly became bright, and the other side of the bridge became an ocean where a ship waded far beyond them._

 _"_ _No," the God stated angrily as he exhaled sharply upon seeing the sight before him._

 _"What's happening?" Hook asked strangely while his eyes remained upon the God._

 _Hades glared at the younger man who had defeated him in that moment while he threatened Killian snarling, "You will pay for this."_

 _After Liam released his hold on his brother's hand despite Killian's struggle to hold onto him, the older Jones rose from the fiery pit he had been blown into by Hades moments ago above the smoke that slowly dispersed while he stood in the center a rowboat, being lifted back up to safety by the water now surrounding him, then Killian turned his head and looked on with surprise upon seeing Liam before him, and that he was unharmed._

 _As this was happening, those left of the pirates released Emma and Alice, as one of them cut through the ropes that bound the Savior's wrists together, then both woman rushed forward to join_ _Killian who stood quickly from the ledge and uttered softly, "Liam. You're safe."_

 _"Yes," the older brother replied, sounding just as surprised as Killian was. "It appears I am."_

 _"I suppose this is a sacrifice I should have made long ago," he continued after he let out a small chuckle. "And now I can finally depart."_

While he said this, the boat moved him around the ledge where Killian stood so that Liam could say goodbye, then the younger man nodded in understanding and responded, "Then go. All of you. You too, Mother."

Killian and Liam both turned to Alice and the crew they had sailed with long ago as Killian spoke to them saying, "Mother… you finally told us of your secrets that have haunted you all this time. I forgive you. Not that you need my forgiveness, but I do nonetheless. And men… now that you finally know the truth about why you died, your unfinished business is complete as well."

 _"Get on board," he then called out as he moved around and weakly knelt down to hold the boat for them to climb aboard while Liam held his hand out to them._

 _"What about you, brother?" the older Jones finally asked as he looked up again at Killian once the men were settled, until Alice immediately pulled her youngest into her arms to say her own goodbyes._

Killian kissed her cheek while he helped her board the boat as well, then he and Emma turned back to Liam as he answered, "My unfinished business isn't done yet. Not until Emma and I have defeated Hades. It's going to be the only way we're going to get out of the Underworld. My place is with her."

 _Liam also nodded in understanding of his brother's decision to stay behind and then he replied, "She does want what's best for you, Killian. And don't worry about reaching that bar anymore. You've become a true hero in a way I never could."_

 _"Goodbye," he finally uttered as he held out his arm for his brother to grasp, and clasped Killian's in return while they remained standing before one another with their arms interlocked for a few moments._

 _"Goodbye, brother," the younger Jones responded sadly as he released his hold and watched on with Emma while Liam, their mother, and the others moved away towards their new ship awaiting them, to bring them to the peaceful afterlife they all deserved._

After they were gone, Emma immediately pulled the man she loved into a hug and held him close until she finally raised her head to look up into his eyes, then quietly asked, "What you said to them… about your place being here with me as we fight Hades together… Did you mean it?"

Killian looked down sadly while he struggled to collect his thoughts and then quietly answered, "Emma… I'm still not sure… whether I truly deserve to be saved or not. I've many sins, both from having given into the darkness and from my past. I've so much that I'm ashamed of. Much to make up for. I can't tell you my coming back with you means I won't stop despising the man I've become. But… I know I love you. I've always loved you. I can only be grateful that you see in me what I can't. If you're really willing to help me find my place in our world again no matter how long it may take…"

"I don't care how long it takes," the Savior finally cut him off and then leaned in to kiss him deeply until she finally pulled back so she could continue to talk. "I won't make you face your demons alone because I love you too, Killian. Listen… down here there's a test, which could allow us to discover the love we share is true. I feel in my heart our love is true love. But I don't think you do. Or you wouldn't doubt yourself so deeply. Can you trust in me to come with me? So we can find out together?"

"Aye, love," he replied gently, then kissed her again. "As you wish."


	43. Chapter 43

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Forty-Three

Emma and Killian finally left the cave and made their way back through town under the cover of night towards the library, where the clock tower that stood tall raised atop of the building back in Storybrooke, now was rooted firmly into the ground of the square in front of the library here within Underbrooke. Several hours ago, Graham finally sent word to his friends through his wolf, who carried a message for them which told them he and Lila had found the entrance into the depths of the Underworld, where anyone else were too afraid to go.

Killian was still feeling weak and hurting from the injuries which still had yet to fully heal, so Emma continued to embrace him to help keep him steady while they walked. Both of them were grateful that none of Hades' minions or creatures were around to attempt to attack them, yet it didn't stop them from feeling more and more anxious the closer they got to the library, knowing that if this test of true love was real and not a rumor, that danger would be lurking around some corner waiting for its moment to strike.

At last, they arrived in the square in front of the library, where Grumpy stood along with Smee on the roof to keep watch for their friends, as well as for any unwanted threats so they'd be able to warn them and the others should trouble come for them. Hook raised his hand to wave towards his first mate and closest friend when Smee did the same, then he and Emma walked inside where David, Regina, Robin, Tinker Bell, Graham, Lila, and August were all waiting for them while they stood in front of an elevator which looked similar to the one inside the library back in Storybrooke. However, this elevator was now covered in magical symbols that Regina had drawn all over the doors.

Once the two of them reached the rest of their friends, David looked at Hook with sympathy while he spoke quietly saying, "It's good to see you up and about. How are you feeling?"

Killian turned toward his friend as he despondently replied, "I'm alright. About as alright as I can be, under the circumstances. Thank you, mate."

"Where are Liam and Alice?" Tink questioned upon realizing that Killian's family hadn't come with them. "Did something happen?"

"It's kind of a long story for right now," Emma answered as she looked over at the man she loved and smiled gently at him, then turned back to the others. "For right now, you just need to know that they've moved on and are finally at peace. We had a bit of a problem again with Silver and his pirates. But we'll explain the rest later. What's going on here? This is what you've been doing since you found the entrance? Painting a bunch of squiggly lines?"

 _Regina turned her head around towards the Savior and glared at her, then returned to finishing up her task at hand as she responded, "Hades put one hell of a protection spell on his elevator and these 'squiggly lines' are the only way to crack it open."_

Lila looked between those surrounding her and Graham while she replied, "Graham and I spent the last three days talking to those from the rebellion and several others who've been trapped here in the Underworld far enough back that they might have heard the rumors Cruella had spoken of. What little information we could gather and piece together, finally led us here to this elevator. And I used my magic to try to get a sense of what lay behind these doors. It's beyond powerful."

"Hopefully, this elevator will take us to exactly where we need to go," Leroy said grumpily when he and Smee walked back inside after coming down from the roof. "I really just want to get out of this crummy world."

"Maybe with surprise on our side, we can get through this without much trouble," August added with a hint of frustration in his voice as his feelings, along with everyone else's, matched the dwarf's.

 _Killian looked between those who were risking their lives for him, then bowed his head upon sensing their yearning to return home and dejectedly uttered, "That's a lot of 'maybes' and 'hopefullys'."_

 _Emma squeezed his hand upon seeing the sadness on his face, then she answered, "It's all we have right now."_

 _"Okay," she then stated when the Savior turned to look between Regina, Lila, and Tink when each of the women with power then stepped forward facing the metal doors as they all raised their hands out in front of them. "Let's do this."_

"Give the symbols as much of your power as you can," Regina called out when the four of them suddenly began to emit their light magic against the God's protection spell barring them from breaking inside. "And don't stop."

Nearly a minute passed and finally the doors to the elevator opened to reveal the lift inside. Once they succeeded, the women dropped their hands and stepped back to take a moment to regain their strength after emitting that much of their power drained them. However, Emma stepped forward again when she sensed something strange from the tunnels below, far stronger than she had when she and the others walked down into the tunnels to find Killian.

David looked over at his daughter as he asked, "Emma… what is it? What's wrong?"

Regina sensed it as well and responded, "There's no magic the further in this elevator shaft goes. There won't be any magic available to us if we run into whatever dangers are lurking once we get down there."

"No… it isn't that," Emma replied strangely as she walked up to the elevator and reached out to touch one of its sides, all of a sudden falling under the trance of a vision that came to her as she did so, then stumbled back into Killian's arms when it finished.

"Emma?" he questioned fearfully when he caught her, until she turned around to face him. "Are you okay?"

She nodded as she reached up to caress his cheek, then answered, "Yes. I promise, I'm fine. It was a vision. I somehow saw a flash of me laying my heart upon a scale of some sort. A very ancient scale. It's like the magic I'm sensing coming up from below is trying to tell me what I need to know before we enter."

The Savior turned to Regina and then spoke again saying, "I need you to pull out my heart. What Cruella said about this test requiring one to offer their heart up for judgement… it's quite literal. Please… Trust me."

"I trust you, Miss. Swan, but… are you sure about wanting to do this?" the Queen questioned her as she looked over and saw the worry on Killian's face. "You have no idea what's down there. And without our magic…"

"Killian and I have to do this alone," Emma swiftly responded before Regina could finish expressing her concerns, then she turned to look between their friends, the man she loved, and finally her father. "He and I are the reason we're here. And he and I are the only ones facing this test. We need you all to stay up here and keep watch for trouble. Put up your own protection spells over this library like we did over the cottage. Just make it as strong as you can. It appears that all spells wear off eventually no matter where we are. It explains how the pirates were able to break through the barriers we thought were in still in place."

David looked at his daughter in confusion as he asked, "When was this?"

She quickly hugged him while she whispered assuredly, "A story for another time. I promise, Dad… We'll be alright."

"All right…" Emma then stated again when she stepped back and turned again to former Evil Queen. "Regina… It's your turn."

She nodded and raised her hand over her chest, then as carefully and as gently as she could, Regina suddenly reached inside to pull out the Savior's now glowing, beating heart within the palm of her hand. Emma gasped upon her doing so and once again stumbled back against Killian.

 _"You don't have to do this, Swan…" he whispered worryingly when Emma took her heart back from Regina and carefully placed it inside a pouch which Tink handed over to her, then she turned around again to look into his eyes upon hearing his plea._

The Savior smiled at him, then reached into her red jacket's pocket as she pulled out his hook and summoned his brace to give them back to him while she worked to secure them back over his arm, and finally replied, "And you didn't have to sacrifice everything and then give your life to protect all of us either. But you did. You would do anything and everything for me. Just as I would do for you too, Killian. Which is why we're going."

 _He simply nodded and then Emma glanced over at the Queen once more while she uttered, "Regina…"_

 _"I know the drill," her friend finished. "If you're not back by sunrise…"_

 _"Everybody leaves," Emma added. "Promise me."_

 _The dark haired woman nodded as she said assuredly, "You'll be back."_

 _While his daughter and Killian walked towards the elevator and stepped inside, as Killian pulled down the gate to secure it so it would begin to lower them down, David called out to them as he added, "We'll be right here waiting for you."_

Finally, the Savior and the pirate captain descended downward as the elevator crept its way through the deep shaft until they reached the bottom at last, having no idea what they were about to come up against. However, they slowly began to walk forward while they talked quietly amongst themselves to help ease the eeriness of the dark tunnels before them.

 _"You really are a stubborn woman," Killian whispered lovingly once again like he had said to her back in Camelot, when he turned his head to look over at the woman he loved and saw the determination to proceed in her eyes._

 _"And you love me for it," Emma answered him the same as she had before as well._

Killian nodded again and then sincerely responded, "I do."

 _Emma and Killian walked out from one of the Underworld's many tunnels and finally came across a stone table where brass scales stood within a circle made up of Greek writing that Emma attempted to read until she said in frustration, "The instructions couldn't be in English?"_

 _"_ _Only a heart filled with true love can pass," he quickly read with ease, pointing to the words as he did so._

 _"_ _Seriously?" Emma questioned while she looked at the man she loved in surprise._

 _Killian looked around him, then back at her with a small smile as he replied, "You'd be surprised what they teach you in the Royal Navy. The only question is, what the bloody hell does it mean?"_

 _The Savior kept her eyes on the table while she answered, "I think I know. I think I have to weigh my heart to see if my love for you is true."_

 _"_ _What?" she asked when she turned her head back to him and saw him raise his eyebrow as if in question of what they were about to do._

 _"Are you saying that what we share is…" he began to inquire as he moved his body around so that he was facing Emma._

 _When he stopped she quickly responded, "Well, we're about to find out."_

 _Killian looked down as though he was struggling with what he was about to say and then continued, "I know you love me. But true love is the rarest magic of all. Are you certain?"_

 _"_ _I mean, honestly, I'm not sure, but who could be?" Emma replied with a whisper as she too turned her body to face his when he looked into her eyes with hope. "We have to try."_

 _"_ _Why can you only admit how you feel when one of us is facing certain death?" the man she loved, then asked more sternly._

 _She shrugged as she answered him with remorse, "I don't know. I guess my armor's been on for such a long time that I… Sometimes I forget I don't need it with you."_

 _Hook chuckled and she smiled at him, then Emma removed her heart from the bag as she stated, "Here goes."_

 _Killian cautiously took a few steps back when Emma slowly placed her heart on one side of the scales and stepped back as well as they both waited for something to happen until nothing did, then with defeat Killian whispered, "It didn't bloody work."_

 _"_ _Emma, what's wrong?" he asked fearfully, reaching out to try to help her as she suddenly let out a sharp and pained gasp, then collapsed to the ground when it only worsened._

 _"_ _The pedestal," she responded weakly, struggling to speak from the pain. "Get my heart off."_

 _"Killian!" Emma cried out for him when he rushed forward to try to grab her heart for her until he suddenly became engulfed by flames, causing him to scream in even worse anguish than her own. "Killian!"_

 _Not caring about his own wellbeing, Killian shouted out to her, "Get your heart! Aah!"_

 _Still fighting against her own pain as she struggled to breathe, Emma looked between Hook and her heart for a few moments in fear, before she swiftly rose herself up and tackled the man she loved to the ground, pushing him from the fire to save him. Emma laid on top of him while they both breathed heavily and then the door finally opened, getting them to look towards it in surprise._

 _Emma spoke again asking, "What the hell is that?"_

 _"_ _It's true love," Killian replied quietly, then they turned to look at one another and he smiled._

 _"_ _Emma, you chose me," he continued, looking up at her with awe and a deeper love than ever before. "That was the test."_

The Savior smiled down at him and then questioned, "Don't you understand now… why I haven't been able to let you go? True love doesn't come around more than once. And I never thought I would ever find it. But with you I have, Killian."

The Captain raised his head and kissed her lips and once Emma pulled back after kissing him in return, she struggled to stand up again, then reached down to take his hand to pull him up as well. At last, they started walking towards the doors which opened up to them in reward for passing the test, though Emma paused a moment to stand in front of the scales again to reach out to take her heart back. However, they were both startled when Hades suddenly appeared behind them within blue flames as he's done several times before, this time along with Cerberus beside him, followed by Zelena within her own green smoke.

Before Emma could grab her heart from the pedestal, the God of the Underworld immediately summoned the precious organ into his own hands and then laughed upon finally having won the prize he had been seeking since he'd appeared to the Savior aboard the Jolly Roger back within the heroes' own realm.

Killian immediately cried out, "No!"

"At last…" Hades uttered smugly, while he held her heart in the palm of his hand and stared at it with glee until he raised his eyes to look again at the pirate, whose soul still belonged to him as well. "The Savior's heart belongs to me. I wasn't happy when you helped your mother and brother move on from my world, but I have to admit it all worked out for the best and I'm actually not angry with you anymore about that. Well… I am, but I'm also glad everything worked out this way."

"Please… please don't do this," Killian pleaded with the villain before them, as Emma quickly gripped his arm and pulled him back to her when he started to charge against the God in a foolish attempt to help her, especially when the three headed dog began to growl angrily at him. "Don't hurt her."

The deity laughed while Zelena continued to watch on in silence, then he answered, "I promise you that her death will be mostly painless, Captain. As soon as the power it holds restarts my heart after I've remained dead for century, after century… just waiting for the golden opportunity. I didn't think I would succeed in stealing the Savior's heart. But soon she'll become another one of my souls and the two of you will at least still get to be together. Unless of course… I choose to keep you apart, which is exactly what I intend to do. I'm very vindictive."

The Wicked Witch suddenly vanished from before them without as much as a word while Hades shouted, "Zelena?!"

"What's the matter?" Emma asked darkly as she finally spoke again. "Did Zelena come to see you as the man you really are? You never really did love her. You just hoped her love for you would be strong enough to restart your heart, having failed until now to steal mine."

"That doesn't matter right now," Hades retorted angrily, then blew out a whistle to prepare his beast to attack Hook so he could get on with finally freeing himself from his own hell. "It's time to send Captain Hook back to his dungeon above the River of Lost Souls where you saved him from. I suggest you say your goodbyes."

Killian saw that all of the beast's eyes were solely on him, yet he kept his stand beside the woman he loved while she kept a firm grasp on him as well. They slowly backed away together as Cerberus ascended upon them. However, before Hades could give the whistle that would elicit its attack, an enchanted blade suddenly soared past above their heads from behind them and plunged itself deep within the beast's chest as it roared in anguish, until finally the creature became vanquished in black smoke as it died.

Both heroes and villain turned to find out who had thrust the sword to kill the monster and each of them were surprised to see the Apprentice standing among them, as well as Merlin and Poseidon, the God of the Seas and Hades' own brother… the Sorcerer having been the one to slay Cerberus. Then, another God who appeared much younger than the others, wearing a white robe, and golden gauntlets upon his wrists, as well as a gold belt around his waist, swiftly appeared among them too and Hades screamed out at them in anger.

The villain among them shouted, "This is my realm!"

The younger of the Gods stepped forward to stand with Emma and Killian as he sternly responded, "And the living world is not a part of it, yet you continue to enter to make deals with those foolish enough to do so. We may not be able to stay for more than a few minutes, but it's long enough to keep you from taking the Savior's heart in order to restart yours."

"You don't have power over me here," Hades retorted angrily. "Here… I have power over you."

"But not over me," Merlin replied steadfastly and suddenly projected his power at him with as much strength as he possessed before Hades could attack his brothers, forcing the deity back through the air and against the wall behind him, while Emma's heart then flew from his hand.

Killian immediately dove forward to catch her heart with his only hand before it could hit the ground, then gasped in pain when his body landed. Emma rushed over while she knelt above him to lift him against her so she could hold the man she loved until the battle around them hopefully ended quickly.

When Hades rose back to his feet and saw that Hook now had the precious organ he had stolen from the Savior minutes ago, he attempted to strike out against them until the Sorcerer and his apprentice swiftly raised a magical force field over them so he couldn't harm them again at this moment in time.

Poseidon spoke out against him as he said, "Go back to sit on your throne, Hades. These heroes have not defeated you yet, but they have in this battle."

The God of the Underworld snarled darkly, "This is far from over, Savior. You and your pirate aren't safe from me."

"Unfortunately, he's right," the God who was unknown to them stated once Hades swiftly vanished again from among them. "So long as you remain here, Emma… you and your loved ones will never be safe. And we can't protect you again. You must leave with them now while Hades is consumed by the anger of this defeat."

"I can't leave without Killian," she answered without waiver, as she slowly stood again and then carefully helped Killian to as well. "I won't. Besides, Hades has his minions and creatures all over this world. He'll never allow us to reach the portal that will take us back to Storybrooke."

Killian looked between them while he continued weakly, "The only way to get out of here… is if we defeat him."

The God of the Seas looked over at his older brother as he grimly responded, "They're right, Zeus."

"You're Zeus?" Emma retorted while she stared at the ruler of the Gods in disbelief. "As in… God of Lightning and of the skies?"

"I am," Zeus replied. "And I know who you are as well, Emma Swan. I'm sorry for our brother. He's long since become lost to us when he thirsted for power over every realm. I hope that you will succeed, though I'm afraid we can no longer be of any help to you in your endeavor to do so. It's forbidden among the Gods. However, we've come on Merlin's behest in order to help him enter and depart from the Underworld, so he could save you from the dark fate he foresaw. He can be quite persuasive. I'm afraid not even what once grew within those doors which opened to you upon passing true love's test can help you now, as the tree containing the fruit of the Gods was burned down long ago by our brother. We cannot tell you how to defeat Hades, but there is a way to kill a God. It will be your only chance. I wish you well."

Poseidon turned to Zeus as he nodded, then turned back to the others among them and stated, "Forgive us, but my brother and I must depart from this realm. I fear we've already stayed a bit longer than we're really able to. Farewell."

All of a sudden, both Zeus and Poseidon disappeared before anyone could object, then Emma and Killian turned around to face Merlin and his apprentice while the Savior spoke again in sincerity saying, "Thank you. Both of you. For saving us. I take it that throw of the sword to kill that three headed beast came from you, Merlin?"

"It did," the Sorcerer answered. "Sadly, there's no more I can do. And I'm afraid this is when we must leave as well."

"However, perhaps this will give you the answer you seek," the Apprentice then responded as he held out the version of Henry's storybook to them which he collected for them from his mansion, and once Emma took it from him, a light descended down upon him from above while he slowly faded away. "Now… I am free to move on. Farewell, my friends."

After he vanished, as did the light, Merlin said to Killian genuinely, "What you did for those you love in Camelot, Killian… it was very noble. It was why Excalibur granted your wish for the darkness to at last be destroyed. I too hope you will win this war you're fighting. One day, I hope to see you both again. Only in Storybrooke or in Camelot. Be well."

It was then that the Sorcerer disappeared as well, and Emma finally turned to Killian again as she rested her forehead against his while she whispered, "That was too close. I'm so sorry, Killian. Dad, Regina, the others… they all warned me this was dangerous, but I didn't listen. I just wanted to give you a reason to keep fighting."

"You did, Swan," Killian replied softly, then gently pushed her heart back into her chest as she had once done for him back when Gold had attempted to crush his heart to free himself from the tether of the dagger. "So long as you're with me. What do you say we return to our friends? It must be close to sunrise by now. Surely, your father's going out of his mind with worry."

"Don't you want to see what's in those doors?" Emma asked him when she raised her head to look up into his eyes. "What if Zeus and Poseidon were wrong? There could be some of the fruit that could save you that survived?"

Hook looked over at the doors again, then shook his head and answered firmly, "No. The only way we can leave here is after we defeat Hades and save those who are trapped under his cruel reign. Even if some of the fruit did survive. We can't leave others to suffer."

The Savior kissed the man she loved until she pulled back and then responded, "That's what makes you a hero, Killian. Come on."


	44. Chapter 44

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Forty-Four

Inside the library…

The rest of the heroes waited in worry for Emma and Hook to come back up from the depths of the tunnels below them. So far, the protection spell Regina put up within the library appeared to be holding, which helped put them all more at ease a little. As did stories of how both Grumpy and Smee had gotten certain battle scars while the two men argued about which of them had been through worse. In the end of their argument, it seemed that the first mate had won, but only because he had lived far longer than the dwarf had. Plus, Smee was a pirate who'd been through far more battles than Grumpy's been through.

"How do you think Emma and Hook are faring?" Tinker Bell finally asked quietly in order to break the silence which had fallen over everyone else when she walked over to stand with David, Robin, and Regina who were standing nearest the elevator. "It's been awhile since they've been down there."

"I'm sure they're fine," Robin answered her when no one else did, trying to sound more confident than any of them felt. "They can handle anything. It's this waiting that's killing me."

All of a sudden, the library doors crashed open by a magical force while each of those inside immediately stood alert and prepared themselves to fight, when the Blind Witch and Cruella once again appeared among them as the two villainesses entered, then the dog hater retorted smugly, "Don't count on that. The Savior should have heeded your concerns about you coming here being a trap. But not just for them, darlings. For you too. It's time each of you stay where you won't be able to cause any more trouble."

Regina glared at her as she responded, "And what exactly are you and child muncher here going to do against all of us? In case you can't count, Cruella… we outnumber you."

"You know, Regina… you never did return to the diner to bring me my apples you promised me," the blind woman snidely replied as she ignored her enemy's goading. "I've promised my customers apple pie and yet, I've been unable to give them what they want."

"We've all been a little too busy to go out to do a little apple picking," the Queen answered curtly, then glared over at Cruella again. _"_ _I'm still waiting to hear how you're going to stop us from leaving, Fuzzy. Because all your magic can do is make a dog roll over and beg."_

 _Cruella De Vil just chortled and then she responded, "True. I don't have the magic to keep you all penned in here."_

 _The two women stepped back until they were once again standing outside, then the Blind Witch raised her arms out as she stated coolly, "But I do."_

 _Without warning, the witch then suddenly used her magic to force all of the heroes back as they flew into the air and crashed into the walls behind them, before she finally locked them all inside by sealing the doors with a special spell meant to keep prisoners locked away. A special spell she had gotten from the God of the Underworld himself._

 _"Out of the way, David," Regina uttered angrily once she stood from the floor with Robin's help, then stormed in front of the doors to try to break them open as the Prince had tried to do with his bare hands._

 _"You forced my hand, kid eater!" the Queen then shouted as she summoned a fireball into the palm of her hand and propelled it at the doors, only to fail to open them when she immediately had to duck as the witch's spell projected the flames right back at her._

 _Robin fearfully cried out, "Regina!"_

 _When she stood tall again, with disbelief Regina uttered, "What the hell?"_

 _"That's right," Cruella suddenly shouted out to her and the others from outside beyond the doors. "No one's getting out before sunrise, and then no one's getting out."_

 _The Blind Witch gleefully continued, "Consider it payback, Regina! For tricking those children into burning me in my own oven."_

 _With finality, Cruella De Vil and the Blind Witch laughed and then began to walk away together as the woman with the ability to control animals added, "Ta-ta! Oh, it's going to be a nice eternity after all. At least for us."_

 _"I don't get it," the Queen then said again after taking a few minutes to contemplate their situation, while David attempted to get out through one of the library's windows. "The Blind Witch's spells are always half baked."_

 _"Unless this isn't her spell," the archer replied crossly after he finished helping the others to stand up from the floor as well._

 _She turned her head to look over at him and the others upon realization, then she answered darkly, "Hades. He wants us trapped in here."_

Grumpy angrily cried out, "Well, what are we going to do?! We can't just stay in here and wait for Hades, or more of those flying freaks to attack us. We stay trapped in here, we're nothing but sitting ducks."

"I'm working on it," Regina retorted curtly, glaring at him as she did so until she turned her head back to face the doors while she continued to think of a way to escape.

"We have time," Lila calmly whispered when she looked towards Graham, who stepped forward to raise his hand against the doors, only to become shocked by the power keeping them inside. "We're still waiting for Emma and Hook to return."

Smee spoke up saying, "Maybe once they do, we could use the elevator to enter into the tunnels, then escape through them instead. We've all been through them before, either in Storybrooke or here in Underbrooke."

Impressed by the suggestion, August responded, "That's actually not a bad idea."

"It really isn't," David replied in agreement, then he and the others all turned when they heard the elevator rising at last.

"Emma!" her father joyfully exclaimed when she and Hook finally stepped out once the lift came to a stop and the doors opened, then he immediately rushed forward to embrace his daughter, while both Robin and Smee stepped up beside the pirate captain and patted his back, as well as his shoulder. "Thank God, you both made it."

The Huntsman looked to them as he questioned, "Did you pass the test? Or find the magic that might have been down there?"

Killian looked over at Emma, who then answered, "It turns out, the love Killian and I share is true love like I hoped. Like I always knew, even when I doubted it. Unfortunately, we didn't get whatever the fruit of the Gods is that could bring Killian back to life, but… A lot happened while we were down there. We can explain everything later, but we think we have a way to defeat Hades. And not just to defeat him, but to kill him so that everyone here in this world will be free from him."

"Another storybook?" Regina questioned in frustration. "How many times can one of these books actually save the day?"

"Try not to be so quick to dismiss what's helped us so many times in the past," Killian responded to her while Emma quickly laid the book open in his arms so he could hold it for her while she searched through its pages for the answer to killing Hades the Apprentice believed was inside of it. "The Apprentice gave us this book and claimed it could help us."

Regina looked at them skeptically as she asked, "What else did happen to you two while you were down there?"

Killian briefly outlined what had as he replied, "Hades was lying in wait for us to finish with the test. He tried to steal Emma's heart as it laid out in the open on the scale, nearly used it to somehow restart his own, tried to have a three headed monster take me back to the cave where you all rescued me from, then the Apprentice, Merlin, Zeus, and Poseidon all appeared and forced Hades to return Emma's heart. That about covers it… minus the details."

"Two more Gods and two all-powerful beings saved you from another of Hades' attacks?" Tink said out of disbelief. "Wow!"

"I found it!" Emma suddenly cried upon finding the pages which told Hades' story and included pages showing a weapon powerful enough to destroy even a God. "The Apprentice was right. There is a way to kill him."

When she took the book back from Killian and faced him as well as a few of the others so they could all see the pages for themselves, Killian read aloud, " _An Olympian Crystal_."

He continued, "A weapon powerful enough to disintegrate a God, or anyone else until they cease to exist. Not even the soul survives, so… there would be no moving on. How are we supposed to find such a weapon? Surely, Hades has it well hidden and better protected more than any of his other artifacts throughout this realm."

"We can worry about that in a bit, but first… we need to get out of here and find someplace new to hold up until we can finally leave here," Emma answered when she closed the storybook again and walked towards the doors until Regina quickly reached out to grab her arm to keep her back.

 _"That's going to be a bit of a problem," she responded curtly. "We can't. The Blind Witch cast a spell trapping us in here."_

 _The Savior looked back at her in frustration as she replied, "Let me guess… She got it from Hades? This whole thing has been a setup to keep us trapped in the Underworld."_

She quickly handed the book over to her father and motioned for him and the others to step back, then looked between the other women among them who possessed magic as she raised her hands before her while she spoke again saying, "None of our magic is powerful enough on their own to break through the spell, but with all four of our powers?"

"Should be plenty," the Queen answered coolly when she understood what Emma was getting at, and joined with the Savior, along with Tinker Bell and Lila too, as they all together emitted their magic in order to blast the doors wide open at last.

Once they were free again, the heroes all quickly left the library and headed back to the Charmings' loft where they planned to stay until it was time to leave the Underworld, which they hoped would be very soon. Upon their arrival, Regina picked up the storybook again and carefully read through the pages about Hades to make sure they weren't missing anything important.

As she did so, Emma took care of Killian while she pulled off his leather jacket again to check on his wounds beneath the bandages across his body. His modern dress leather jacket which he had gratefully changed himself into, as well as his pants with her help after she had magicked him some better clothes for him to wear some time within the three days Killian continued to rest without speaking with her.

"Okay… so, how do we do this then?" Robin finally asked after he finished reading the pages along with Regina himself, while Lila and Tink put up their protection spells over the loft as they had done before. "Where do we even begin to look for this crystal? Would Hades keep it anywhere other than within his lair? He'll be keeping it close and somewhere surely our magic isn't going to be powerful enough to break through the barriers with."

Killian thought back to his brief interrogation within the God's throne room before he had been escorted back to the pit where he had been tormented by his own delusions of those he loved, then responded, "His lair holds many treasures and artifacts Hades values. I don't doubt this crystal would be among them somewhere. Sadly, I was hardly lucid while I was being tortured there. I couldn't say whether or not I noticed anything that might hold such a weapon."

Graham spoke as well, as he replied, "Lila and I were there too… when we and some of our friends were destroying everything we could get our hands on. We destroyed a number of his valuables. As far as I recall, Hades didn't appear to be too particularly upset about any one thing being broken specifically."

"Probably because we never got the chance to break whatever it is that's protecting the Olympian Crystal before Hades returned and started taking us all out," Lila said when she thought back to the rebel attack they waged on the lair. "The globe…"

"Globe?" Killian immediately questioned upon its mention. "I do actually recall one while I was there. I suppose being a pirate and a navigator who's travelled many realms, having seen… many globes and maps that tend to stick out in my mind. This globe in Hades' lair… it wasn't just any globe. It possessed magic and was a map not only of the living realm, but many realms. All on one globe, also made of crystal."

Emma smiled at him, then turned to the others while she expressed keenly, "That has to be it. Hades has boasted a number of times about how he travels to other realms to make deals for more souls and to steal the treasures he possesses. He prides himself in doing so. That has to be where the Olympian Crystal is hidden. Inside the globe."

Lila nodded and then answered, "I agree. The question is… How are we going to get inside his lair again? Hades won't fall for another distraction. And even if we can get in, how do we get through his protection spell?"

"We were able to pass through the barriers in the house Killian bought…" the Savior started to respond, until she cut herself off upon realizing she hadn't mentioned to him yet that she knew he had done so with the intention of asking her to move in with him, then pulled the newspaper he had circled the advertisement of the house on from her jacket's inside pocket where she had also kept his hook safe too. "Killian, I… I didn't want to find out about it this way, but Hades taunted me with it. He said how taking the next step with you will never be possible. But it is now… once we get back. If you still want to take this step, my answer's yes."

"I had hoped to ask you in a more… romantic manner, but if your answer truly is yes and we do get out of here, then in time I'd like that," the man she loved replied quietly, then reached out to take her hand when she offered it to him. "In time. But you were talking about the barriers in place inside the house?"

Emma nodded, then looked towards the others and quickly continued, "That's right. With Liam's help we were able to get through them so we could enter the deeper depths below ground to find Killian. Having Killian, Graham, or Lila try to get passed the barriers… it might work. If all this is true, and it's a really big if… We might not need to break into his lair again at all. At least not like how we've tried to do before. We can use Zelena."

"What do you mean… use my sister?" Regina curtly asked her friend as she glared back at her. "Zelena wouldn't help us even if she wasn't twisted up in this perverted love story with Hades."

"Of course not," Emma answered. "What I meant was… When Killian and I were down there facing the test, Hades, and… everything, Zelena appeared before us along with Hades and his three headed dog. But after he tried to steal my heart, Hades bragged about how he had succeeded getting it after all and Zelena just vanished. She was pretty angry. I believe because I think she saw that Hades wasn't in love with her like she might have thought. If we can find her and keep her away from Hades, Regina… you can enter the lair as your sister and you can help sneak…"

Graham quickly finished for her, "You can sneak me in with you. While you're keeping Hades busy, I can try to steal the crystal if we're right about it being inside that globe."

The Queen thought it through, then she finally used her magic to transform herself into the guise of the Wicked Witch and responded, "It's actually not a bad plan. Let's do it."

Just after sunrise…

The heroes who went off to find Zelena, found the Wicked Witch just where they expected they would find her… at her farmhouse. Emma peered through the windows from where she and the others knelt down behind the well to keep themselves hidden, using Killian's spyglass to see what the witch was up to and saw as she appeared to be alone while she was sitting at her kitchen table deep in thought, slicing up a green apple without eating any.

Knowing that attempting to talk to her would be a bad idea, they all decided on doing the best thing they could in hope of keeping her from interfering with their plan. Lila cast a sleeping spell over the farmhouse that would hopefully keep the witch asleep for the next couple of hours to give Regina and Graham the time they needed to pull off the more dangerous part of their plan.

Meanwhile, once again inside Hades' lair…

Hades was once again sitting on his throne as one of his mistresses stood beside him working to rub the God's shoulders, while another was kneeling down in front of him massaging his feet like he was just a normal living soul who had gone to get a massage to help relieve the stress he was under. And after his confrontation with his most hated brothers within the deeper depths of his world, when he had been so close to succeeding in stealing the Savior's heart only to once again have his victory snatched away from him, Hades was seething in anger. Upon his failure, he hadn't even given another thought to Zelena leaving him alone… until she suddenly reappeared before him in a bright green cloud of smoke once again.

"Zelena…" the deity uttered in surprise at her sudden arrival and quickly banished the women around him using his power to send them away, not suspecting in the slightest that the woman he had affections for was really Regina standing before him wearing her sister's face and clothes.

"You came back," he continued when he bit down the anger he was feeling moments ago and slowly began to approach her. "Are you alright? I thought… Why did you leave?"

Regina nervously turned away as she slowly made her way over to where the crystal globe stood between another chair and the God's pool table he must have acquired in one of his travels to the Land Without Magic, then reached down to lay her hand over the crystal sphere only to become shocked by the magic protecting it, quickly pulling back upon feeling the burn within her skin.

Hades immediately rushed over to her and took her hand in his own while he stated, "I'm sorry about that. I should have told you before that many of the things in here have protection spells over them that keep anyone from harming what's mine. Especially after my lair was attacked a few days ago by a group of rebels. They destroyed practically everything. I was lucky to be able to restore it all. So… why did you run? I thought you would have enjoyed watching me defeat the Savior and her pirate."

Regina finally replied, "Normally, I would have. It's just that… I saw Merlin suddenly appear from behind those two goody goodies, then his apprentice and the other God. I'm afraid I became scared. I've faced Merlin before when in Camelot and while he didn't frighten me in the slightest then, I just didn't wish to face him again, or risk my life or my baby's in a face off with your family. I hope you can understand that."

Hades led her away as they walked towards his throne while he answered, "Of course I understand. I'm just happy you came back. Have you had some time to think on my offer yet?"

"What you're asking from me is a lot, Hades," the Queen responded with reluctance in her voice in hope of sounding sincere. "I care about you and I would like nothing more than to start over, but I have my baby to think about. And… the Underworld, even the part that's designed to look like Storybrooke, it's not a place to raise a child. He or she deserves to have a life that I was never given myself. A life of happiness and love. I'm not so sure my child can get that here. You yourself said there's no joy or hope allowed here."

"That doesn't include you, Zelena," the God replied tenderly. "I want you and your baby to have all the things you never got with your mother and sister. Please, don't say no just yet. I would like you to think on it a little longer. Maybe… maybe I can surprise you."

While Hades was being distracted by Regina as they talked, Graham also entered the lair in silence moments after the former Evil Queen had, underneath the cover of a cloaking spell cast on him by Lila once again like they had used to escape the room from Hades' wrath after eliciting the attack to keep him distracted then as well.

The Huntsman carefully made his way over to the globe where he remembered seeing it before and knelt down in front of it from beneath the pool table which he consciously hoped would give him a little extra cover despite being protected by magic. Graham then glanced towards Regina and the deity to make sure she was keeping Hades facing the opposite direction and finally raised his hand to touch the crystal which the globe was made from. When no shock came, he pushed against it a little harder and suddenly his hand fazed through the crystal. He reached inside and felt two pieces of what he believed was the Olympian Crystal they had come for, instead of just one whole crystal.

He carefully pulled the first half out as he felt its power surging at his touch, then carefully wrapped it in the cloth he brought along with him to carry the crystal in. Graham then reached inside the globe again to pull out the second half and did the same. However, as he was making sure the halves were secure inside his satchel around his shoulders, a sudden burst of power struck him and forced the hunter, along with the pool table up against the roof of the cave above him, then allowed him to fall again against the ground.

With his hand raised out in front of him, Hades walked away from the witch he believed was the woman he loved and walked towards the Huntsman, having sensed another invasion within his lair and used his power to bring him out into the open by easily undoing the cloaking spell which protected him.

When the God then continued to harm the hunter by once again lifting him from the ground and into the air by a magical chokehold, Regina immediately screamed, "Graham!"

Upon the Queen giving herself away, as Hades realized then that it wasn't Zelena he had been talking to all this time, without releasing his hold on Graham, he turned his head around to face her while he said, "Let me guess… Your Majesty?"

"Ah… I should have seen right through your deception," the deity continued darkly when Regina finally removed her spell that made her appear as Zelena in order to reveal her true self to him. "But I was blinded by my rage and allowed myself to lose what's normally my good judgement. How dare you, come into my lair and attempt to steal… from me! You may be a living soul, Regina… And therefore, I can't personally kill you as much as I would like to, short of having my minions or creatures charge in here to have you thrown into the River of Lost Souls, but your rebel friend here… is fair game. And I can do with him, as I will do to Hook too."

"Regina… get out of here!" the Huntsman struggled to call out to her despite the squeezing hold around his throat. "The bag…"

Not realizing yet that Graham had snuck inside his lair under the cover of a cloaking spell so he could steal the two halves of the Olympian Crystal, his hesitation gave Regina the opportunity to use her magic to summon the satchel the hunter kept a firm hold on to herself, but before she could run, Hades propelled the statue sitting on the stand beside his throne directly at her back and knocked her to the ground. Not unconscious, just to the ground.

Regina glared up at the God while he continued to keep his hold over Graham, as she snarled brusquely, "You won't win. Beat me here and now, or not. Emma and the others will destroy you. Villains don't get their happy endings. I learned that a long time ago."

After he summoned a blank tombstone behind him, Hades knelt down in front of the Queen, who pulled the satchel containing the crystal behind her and further away from him, then he answered cruelly, "And now… neither will you or the rest of your friends. You never should have come down here, Regina. I can't kill you, but I can keep you down here until you die and then we can have some real fun. How do you want your name written on your tombstone?"

"Try thinking on that question yourself!" Emma suddenly shouted from behind him, as she along with Tinker Bell and Lila, who cried out to Graham as well upon seeing him being choked by the God's power, all ran towards their friends, before the Savior immediately discharged her own power at Hades as she struggled to keep him immobilized. "Regina… run!"

"You can't hold me, Savior," the deity retorted while he fought harder against her light magic, until the Green Fairy, Lila, and finally Regina too joined in, their power being strong enough to at last break the Huntsman free from Hades' grip. "Go ahead and run. I will end all of you and Emma… I will force you to watch the man you love suffer in front of you for all eternity. I swear it."

With all of the powerful women's magic combined, they summoned their anger within them and suddenly thrust the God back with enough force that Hades crashed right through the stone wall behind him, creating a giant hole within the cavern's stone. Once he was momentarily down, Regina helped Lila to help Graham up from the floor, then quickly grabbed hold of each of her friends and together they vanished from the lair within a purple cloud of smoke.

Back at the Charmings' loft…

Killian was pacing back and forth impatiently in front of the couch as he worried about Emma and the others, despite David's warning that he ought to try not to wear himself out since he was still healing. David and the others on the other hand were feeling just as restless and anxious as their Captain friend. They just didn't show it as much. Then, at last, Emma, Tinker Bell, Regina, Graham, and Lila all returned within the Queen's magic and when the Savior saw Killian turn towards her, she immediately rushed into his arms.

While Graham embraced Lila as well, the hunter looked over at Regina and then questioned, "Did you get them? Please… tell me that wasn't for nothing."

Regina waved her hand and the satchel still containing the two halves of the Olympian Crystal swiftly appeared within his hand, then she smugly responded, "All that was for everything and I certainly wasn't about to lose to that bastard again."

"You actually did it," August replied, as the Huntsman pulled the crystals still wrapped within the cloth, then laid them out on the kitchen table before them so everyone could get a good look at them. "We can finally defeat Hades and then go home."

"It won't be quite that simple, since we still need to figure out how to put this thing back together again," the Queen grumbled in frustration.

Emma cautiously reached out her hand over the two halves, as she began to sense the crystal's power and while she continued doing so, she spoke out again saying, "Hades… he doesn't have the power to put it back together himself. Because his heart has been stopped by Zeus. That's why it's still in pieces. It's why… he's fighting so hard to either get my heart for my power, or to convince Zelena to fall in love with him. Without it beating…"

Killian finished for her, "…this crystal is completely useless to him. He may not even know it's missing yet."

"Well, if he doesn't yet, he ought to soon enough," Tink answered worryingly. "He was really angry back there."

"Emma… try to use your magic to put the halves back together," David stated to his daughter while she continued to hold her hand out over the crystals before them. "Hades thought the power in your heart is powerful enough to get his heart beating again. It should be powerful enough to do what he probably hoped to do with the magic in your heart himself."

Regina looked over at Lila and the fairy again as she responded, "While you're doing that, we'll strengthen the protections spell around us in hope our light magic will be enough to keep Hades from attacking us long enough to get this done."

The Savior nodded, then raised her second hand out over the crystal as well and began to pour all of her power and strength into the crystal, while Killian stayed at her side with his hand laid against the small of her back for support. It appeared to be working like the heroes all hoped for. Unfortunately, it was nearly twenty minutes later when the apartment all around them suddenly began to shake. It broke Emma's concentration momentarily, but she quickly continued to work, while the others rushed to the windows to try to find out what was going on.

Hades was standing in the street of the square in front of the building along with Pan and Cora, as well as other souls who possessed magic the God could use to break through the heroes' own, and Grumpy swiftly shouted, "I suggest you hurry up, Emma! Our magic won't hold against Hades' and the rest of the villains' down there for long!"

"I'm working on it!" she called back in frustration. "It's… almost there!"

"Unfortunately for you, I broke through first," the God of the Underworld retorted smugly when he suddenly appeared within the loft in front of them, as everyone except for Emma immediately rushed forward to stand in front of him to keep their Savior protected while she finished.

Pan and Cora both appeared among them shortly after, then suddenly used their powers to force each of the heroes back one at a time until they were all either knocked out, or just winded from striking the walls and ceiling above them so hard that they found they could barely move. All except for Killian, who remained at Emma's side, and Regina, since Cora couldn't bring it upon herself to hurt her any more than she already had.

At last, Emma finished and once again the Olympian Crystal was whole. However, as she reached down to pick it up from the table, then turned around to point it at Hades with the hope of using its power against him, he suddenly thrust a small powerful blade deep into Killian's stomach using his power to propel it forward.

Emma screamed Killian's name when he collapsed to the floor as she quickly knelt down beside him and held him against her body, while Regina joined them as well. Unfortunately, in their distraction, the deity summoned the crystal into his own hands and began to laugh… finally believing that despite all the setbacks he's had upon the heroes' arrival within his realm, he at last had won.

Both Emma and Regina glared up at him as Regina questioned angrily, "So… that's it then? You're finally going to end our existences using the weapon Emma just made possible for you to use?"

Hades laughed and then haughtily replied, "That's right… I am. And I'm really going to savor this moment. No one will stop me this time."

"And oh… it looks like Captain Hook and the Savior get to be the first ones to meet their ends…" he continued darkly when Killian struggled to rise from the floor despite the newest wound to his soul, with Emma's help as they bravely stood up against the God of the Underworld.

He finally aimed the weapon directly at them while David shouted out in fear for his daughter and his friend. But all of a sudden, and much to everyone's surprise, Zelena appeared among them as the true Wicked Witch swiftly magicked the Olympian Crystal away from the deity and into her own hands before he could strike her enemies down.

"Zelena… what are you doing?" he asked in shock by her sudden arrival and her taking the crystal unexpectedly away from him. "I… I was just about to destroy all of those who have ever crossed you. Who have ever hurt you. We're so close. You and I… we can have everything we ever wanted. You can have all your heart desires. All of this… All of this can be for you and your baby."

Regina weakly rose from the floor, along with David as well and together the two of them stood with Emma and Killian, who continued to struggle against the newfound pain of the knife wound, then the Queen pleaded, "Zelena… please listen to me. I know how badly you want to believe Hades loves you, but he's lying. All of this isn't out of any love he holds for you. It's all been done out of hate. And anger. And the need for revenge against all of those who have wronged him in his long existence."

Cora spoke quietly from across the room saying, "Your sister is right, Zelena. I know that I've wronged you terribly when I was alive. And that I can't possibly ever make up for all I've done. But whether you believe me now or not, I do want both of my daughters to be happy. You won't find it so long as you continue to believe in Hades."

"Shut up!" the God shouted at the sorceress who he had released from her punishment to help him long enough to break through the heroes' protection spells. "Please, Zelena…"

 _"Hades won't give up a single thing for you," Regina whispered while she slowly began to walk towards her sister. "Like he said, he wants it all."_

 _The God also slowly began to step towards the woman he did actually love in his own twisted kind of way while he vigorously retorted, "Listen to her. She doesn't think you deserve to be happy. Look at this apartment. Look at this town. This all belonged to her when you had nothing, remember?"_

 _The witch backed away from the both of them until she cried, "Of course I do!"_

 _"All you have to do is kill Regina, and you can have everything you ever wanted," Hades answered cruelly, as Zelena sniffled and struggled to keep her tears at bay while her conscience told her to listen to what her heart was telling her, then she swiftly raised the crystal above her keeping it aimed towards her sister. "Do it. If you won't, I will."_

 _"All I ever wanted was love," the Wicked Witch sadly responded. "You told me that was enough for you, but… now I realize…"_

 _All of a sudden, Zelena turned the Olympian Crystal against Hades and thrust it deep into the deity's chest as she angrily cried out, "…nothing ever will be!"_

 _Hades screamed in anguish as the weapon of the Gods began to consume him while he pleaded, "Zelena!"_

At last… Hades, ruler of the Underworld was destroyed as his body soon became nothing but a pile of ash on the floor at the heroes' and villains' feet. Zelena began to sob and Cora slowly stepped towards her daughter again and gently pulled her into a hug that she had never once given her oldest while she was alive.

Emma turned her attention to Killian again and then helped him over to the couch while David followed them. Regina turned to their friends and helped Robin and Tinker Bell to stand again, who then continued to help everyone else so the Queen could turn back to her sister and their mother.

"Zelena, I…" Regina whispered nervously while she faced the older woman who until now had been a deep thorn in her side. "I am so sorry. You and I, we don't get along… Well, we hate each other. Or at least I thought I hated you… until now. If you would like to come home with us, you can be free. Because of what you just did. You won't be a prisoner any longer, so long as you don't continue to try to kill us. Will you come back with us?"

"Well… I certainly can't stay here in the Underworld," she despondently replied, then looked over at her mother, who simply nodded between her daughters. "Let's get out of here."


	45. Chapter 45

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Forty-Five

Three mornings after the incident between Gold, Jim, and Kathryn inside Tony's Restaurant, Granny came out from her kitchen carrying plates covered with the French toast with fruit she whipped up, as well as another couple of dishes each holding scrambled and sunny side up eggs, hash browns, bacon and sausage, and finally toast as well to go along with the main meal, then walked around the diner's bar to set all the food down on one of the tables in front of Kathryn, Jim, Archie, and Henry. When she finally finished, she stepped away to return to the bar, then returned a minute later carrying a fresh pot of coffee for the married couple as she poured their first cups full, and two hot chocolates with cinnamon for Archie and Henry.

Henry looked up at the older woman with awe as he stated, "All of this looks really amazing, Granny. How do you do it?"

She held the tray she had carried the drinks out on at her side, then responded, "How do I do what? Make all this food that you and all the rest of my customers constantly want day in and day out? It's a lot of hard work and dedication. Not to mention, discipline. I don't have any volunteers looking to come work for me, so I have to do what I do on my own. I might complain about it, but the truth is… I do enjoy what I do. Eat hearty."

"Honestly, I never really thought that Granny could use any help," Kathryn replied to the others once the older woman walked away to return to serving more of her patrons. "She always made her job appear so easy. You don't suppose she would like any help, do you?"

"Are you considering asking her if she would like you to come work for her?" Jim asked after he took a bite of French toast, then turned his head to look over at her.

His wife shrugged her shoulders and took a sip of coffee, then she answered, "I don't know. Maybe part time at least. I wouldn't mind a little extra work. Not that I don't love the law classes I've been taking online. Because I do. But… I think I need a little more familiarity in my life because the law is so incredibly vast. And what's familiar is here. In Storybrooke, and Granny's…"

Jim reached out to take her hand in his and then responded, "Kathryn… if this is what you want, then I think it's wonderful. Go for it. I'm sure Granny would appreciate it. And besides, it's not like being a gym teacher brings in a whole lot of money these days. We could use the extra income, especially since law school is expensive."

"I know," she reluctantly replied. "But I am grateful you understand why becoming a lawyer is so important to me. Storybrooke could use a little law and order around here other than simply our two sheriffs. God… I really hope David and Emma, as well as the others are alright."

"I'm sure that they're all fine," Archie answered when he finally spoke, though he looked over at Henry sitting beside him, as the boy had been growing more and more worried for his family and their friends the longer they were away. "I don't doubt that they'll all be home any day now. With Killian."

Jim nodded in concurrence with feeling the same hope for their friends, then was about to say something more, until Gold walked inside the diner and when he saw the couple he had hoped to speak with, he walked up to their table and spoke with remorse saying, "I hoped that I would find you both here this morning. It's taken me a few days to try to come up with the right words to say about how I acted the other night towards the two of you… Jim and Kathryn. A simple apology hardly seems enough and yet… it appears it's all I really can say. I truly am sorry and I won't try to make up an excuse for saying those things I said."

Kathryn nodded, while Jim rose from the booth where he had been sitting beside his wife and reached out to shake the older man's hand, then with sincerity he responded, "We appreciate that, Gold. We really do. And your apology is accepted. Would you like to sit down and join us for breakfast? There's plenty of food."

"We would love to join you," a woman's voice replied from behind the shopkeeper, as Gold and everyone turned to find Belle standing there before them. "That is… if I'm welcome too of course?"

"Of course you're welcome to join us," Kathryn quickly answered when she rose from the booth as well to get her husband to move to the inside so that she could sit down next to her friend when the beauty joined them, while Gold moved around to sit beside Archie and Henry across from his own wife. "There's plenty of room."

Gold looked across from him into Belle's eyes and was about to apologize to her as well until she stopped him as she stated, "I heard your apology, Rumple. And I know that it was sincere. Which I truly appreciate. I'm glad that I walked in here this morning when I did."

He nodded and then responded, "I only wish that it wasn't ever necessary."

"We all make mistakes and so long as we make up for the things we regret, forgiveness will always come eventually," Jim replied.

"That's a pretty deep sentiment coming from you, honey," Kathryn said when she looked over at him in surprise. "Where did you hear that from?"

Her husband quickly reached out to slap Henry's shoulder and winked at him while he answered, "From one of my students not too long ago, actually. He was being bullied a little during gym class, until the other kid strangely apologized to Henry out of the blue for being a bully. That's what I heard Henry tell him… or something to that effect. I think Henry said it better though."

The teenager among them shrugged as he responded, "Actually, I got what I said from my grandma. She's always going on about things like that you know. Forgiveness and hope speeches are her specialty."

"That they are," Gold replied, then looked towards the direction of the juke box when he heard a slow ballad begin to play as Mary Margaret, who walked in a few minutes ago with Neal in her arms to order herself some breakfast to go, put in a coin to play a song that reminded her of David, then Gold reached his hand out to Belle for her to take. "Belle… would you do me the honor and have a dance with me?"

"I would love to," the beauty answered happily and took his hand, then together they began to dance, while Mary Margaret came over to join them as well until their friends were finished, or her food was ready.

The Princess watched them for a moment and then turned to Henry as she asked, "I was wanting to walk down on the beach this morning, Henry, and I was wondering if you would like to join me? It's such a beautiful day and I could use someone to talk to. You and I haven't really talked too much about what was troubling you a few nights ago. You know… about Killian? I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

The thirteen year old nodded and then responded, "I'm fine. Really. Archie's been helping me a lot."

"Just like you've been helping me," the doctor replied gently when he looked over at the boy too. "You have been a great blessing in my life, Henry. I hope you know that. I may be the town's therapist, but it doesn't mean I don't need help myself from time to time. You and Marco have been there for me and I truly appreciate it."

"I'm only trying to return the favor," Henry answered, as Archie patted his back, then Henry turned back to Mary Margaret again. "Of course I'll join you, Grandma. It is a beautiful day. And you know what… I have a feeling that today's the day everyone's going to make it home. And they will have Killian with them too. Everything's going to be okay again. You'll see."


	46. Chapter 46

Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Forty-Six

Down in the Underworld…

A few hours passed by since heroes and villains defeated Hades and rid the Underworld of his dark reign of terror together. Once again, Hook had been seriously injured when he and Emma stood against the God in their defiance, as were a few of the others after they had been knocked down. So they took the next couple of hours to try to recuperate the best they could before those from Storybrooke could return home at last. And in that time, they said their goodbyes to those who needed to stay behind, among them being Graham, Lila, and Cora.

"So… are you and Lila going to be moving on then, now that you've accomplished what you've set out to do?" Emma asked the hunter and brief partner back when the former sheriff had asked her to be his deputy until his death, while she stood beside Killian on the dock in front of the boat Lila had secured for them, as they and the others were preparing to leave.

"Actually, Lila and I have decided we're going to stay here to try to help fix up this realm," Graham replied, then leaned in and hugged the Savior who had helped him find his true self again before the Evil Queen's dark curse was ever broken. "We'd like to try to help those who've been trapped here for however long they have been to find peace and move on themselves. And if they're not ready to leave just yet, we hope to try to make living here in the Underworld far better than it's been until now."

The witch who loved the Huntsman glanced at him and smiled while she was holding his hand, then she turned her head to look over at Cora speaking quietly with Regina and Zelena as she continued, "And at last Cora's on our side. Together, we're going to try to do what we always hoped to do back when we became a part of the rebellion."

Having overheard Lila mention her mother was going to stay with them, Regina stared at them for moment before she looked over at Cora again as she asked, "Is that true, mother? Are you really going to stay here and help these people move on?"

"I feel it's the right thing to do… after all I've done that I've not been too proud of, both since I've been down here and while I was alive," the sorceress responded while she kept her eyes between her two daughters. "In time, maybe I will finally earn my chance to move on one day. Regina… I spent most of my life trying to make you in my own image and I hurt you terribly. Especially when I killed Daniel. I am so sorry. I'm so happy that you were at least finally able to say goodbye to him before he moved on from here, even if it wasn't the way you hoped to. And I'm especially sorry for how I treated your father before he too moved on. Can you forgive me?"

"Of course I can, mother," her youngest answered lovingly, then pulled Cora into a tender embrace. "I've always loved you."

The miller's daughter smiled at her and then turned to Zelena as well, as she stated remorsefully, "And Zelena… I'm not sure how I can ever apologize enough for giving you up because I was so heartbroken by what your… well, for the lack of a better word… your father did to me. I couldn't look at you or stand the thought that my child came from that man. But it wasn't your fault and I never should have given up my oldest girl. I know how much I've hurt both of you, but despite all of it… You have both grown into fine women. I know one of you is a hero and the other is a villain, but I hope that this can be a brand new start for you both. I want you to find the redemption you seek and to take care of each other, for me and for your true father. Henry would have loved you, Zelena. Like you were his own. I'm sure of it."

Regina nodded as she wiped away the tears beginning to fall, as did Zelena, then the Queen replied, "Mother's right. Daddy would have loved you. And I hope we can eventually become sisters the way we always should have been."

"If that's what you both want, there's something you need to remember," Cora responded and took both of her daughters' hands in her own as she closed her eyes encouraging Regina and Zelena to do the same, then used her magic to restore a memory she had stolen from them a long time ago.

 _"You were sisters once, who loved and needed each other," she finished with sincerity and remorse after the memory was restored to them both._ _"I thought that love… any kind of love… was weakness. I was a fool. Look at you, Regina. You stayed here to help your father and your friends. You're stronger than I ever was. And that's the strength you got from the people you love, not from me."_

 _Regina whispered, "Thank you, Mother."_

 _Cora then turned back to her oldest again as she continued, "My Zelena… I meant what I said earlier. I am so sorry. Sorry I never gave you the family you deserved or the love. I should have been there for you, instead of wasting my life destroying people. Maybe now you won't have to make the same mistakes I did."_

 _"What if it's too late for me?" the Wicked Witch asked fearfully as she looked into her mother's eyes._

 _"If being here's taught me anything, it's that it's never too late, especially for family," the sorceress answered her assuredly, then turned so she could look between both of her girls and put both of their hands together. "You never stop being connected, right up to the end. And sometimes… even after."_

Cora took a moment to wipe away her own tears too and then added, "I'm so proud of you, my daughters. Go… and be happy. I love you both so much."

Regina and Zelena hugged their mother and finished saying goodbye to her, then the Queen quickly said goodbye to Graham and Lila as well before she and her sister, as well as Robin, were the first to board the boat. August, Tinker Bell, and Smee were next, while Grumpy quickly hugged Graham once again before he joined with the others. David then reached out to shake his old friend's hand and spoke his gratitude to both Graham and to Lila as well before he too stepped onto the boat among the others.

Emma and Killian were the last ones to join with their family and friends. Once she hugged Graham and Lila to show her thanks to them for all they did to help them, she took Killian's hand and started to get onboard, until Killian froze where he was standing as he stared back towards the direction of Underbrooke.

The Savior looked at him worryingly as she stepped back to move around in front of him and saw the fear still in his eyes, then she quietly asked, "Killian… what is it? What's wrong?"

"It's nothing… love," he whispered sadly. "It's just that I… Are you certain? Can you really accept me for who I am and all the terrible things I've done? Because… while true love is the rarest magic of all and it's what you and I share, it doesn't mean that you can't be happy with someone else one day. Someone who… who won't come with as much baggage as I have."

"I don't want anyone else and I wouldn't give up what you and I share for anything," she replied to him tenderly. "I love you for all you are, including the part of you who is a pirate. And so do a lot of other people…"

David suddenly cut in saying, "Including me. Not that I love you… or anything. But despite all I used to feel about you because you were a pirate, you are my friend. Or mate, I guess. I judged you too soon, Hook. And for that I'm sorry. I realize I must have added to a lot of the doubt you're feeling about yourself. I hope to be able to help make things right between us."

Killian looked over at his friend with surprise and then responded, "Thank you, mate."

At last, he and Emma got into the boat as well, then they slowly and cautiously rowed their way back towards the portal so they could make their way back home to Storybrooke, while they waved goodbye once more to their friends who stayed behind. Graham, Lila, and Cora all simply just waved back until they vanished from their view within the fog which suddenly surrounded them.

Back in Storybrooke…

Later in the afternoon, Henry walked along the beach with Mary Margaret and her son for over an hour while they talked. About life and about the hope they shared that soon their family and friends would all be home again soon. Eventually, they made their way into Storybrooke Heritage Park where their loved ones entered a portal into the Underworld nearly a week ago.

"You know… it really isn't so bad out here, if it wasn't for there being an entrance into the Underworld," the thirteen year old said again after he and his grandmother just listened to the sounds of the birds chirping in the trees around them.

"I agree with you, Henry," Mary Margaret answered. "It's too bad we ever had to find out about it."

She was about to continue to talk, when all of a sudden a fog rolled in over the pond before them just as it had the night they said goodbye to their loved ones so they could go down to find Hook. Both Mary Margaret and Henry turned to face the eerie sight before them with hope in their hearts and in their eyes, then the Princess suddenly gasped and began to cry when a boat appeared within the fog as it floated towards them. The first face she saw was that of her husband's, while Henry was happy to see both of his mothers, until his eyes fell on Killian at last, as the Captain was standing beside the Savior as well.

He immediately cried out, "Hook?! Mom! Mom!"

Mary Margaret joined in with her grandson's excitement while she shouted, "David! And Emma, and… Killian! You're back! You're all home!"

"Snow!" Charming cried back and was the first one to jump off the boat as he immediately rushed over to pull his wife and their son in close to hold them, then kissed her tenderly while the others climbed down into the shallow water over the bridge which opened up to them again so they could make their way back to shore. "I've missed you, so much. You know what… I think you need to go back to being Snow again, instead of Mary Margaret. Not that it's not a beautiful name, but you'll always be Snow to me. You are a strong and an amazing woman who inspires people every day. Who always inspires me, our daughter, and our son and grandson. And Snow White's name does that all on its own. You are meant to be who you were born to be. So… let's be Snow White and Prince Charming again. The way we always were and not just David and Mary Margaret."

"I'd like that… Charming," Snow whispered and then continued to kiss her husband before they turned again to their daughter and Killian as they both were suddenly pulled into an embrace by Henry, causing Killian to let out a weak groan in pain from his unhealed injuries when he did so, despite his effort to stifle it.

The Savior's son quickly pulled back while he looked between them and then stated happily, "You did it. I knew you would, but it didn't take away any of the fear I felt after you all left. Killian, I… I'm so glad you're back. You have no idea how much I missed…"

However, the boy was cut off when all of a sudden, Killian gasped painfully as he raised and grabbed his right wrist while Emma grabbed it as well upon seeing a strange mark become burned into his skin, then she questioned, "What the hell is that? Killian?"

"It's the mark of Charon," Henry quickly replied as he observed it as well, while Regina came over upon hearing the commotion and pulled her son into her arms to hold him again, then Robin and the others all came over to join them too. "I read about it in school. In one of my classes when we studied a little about Greek Mythology. It's a mark burned into the souls who enter up into the living world without a body. You're… you're still… Mom… you couldn't bring him back?"

"There were complications while we were down there," Emma responded worryingly and then looked between her parents as well. "A lot of them. What does this mark mean, Henry? Will it go away?"

It was then that Belle and Gold both appeared among them after they had decided to come out for a walk as well, then the former Dark One answered, "It should once you get Hook back into his body. If I remember right from my own time in the Underworld… Hook's passage into this world is very brief before his soul is taken back down by the ferryman, who will appear tonight when the moon reaches its zenith. You should go, Miss. Swan. Captain… It's good to see you again. Let's just hope that whatever complications you all encountered down there are no longer a problem."

Emma nodded at him and Belle, then once the beauty quickly pulled her friend whom she believed she would never see again into a gentle hug as she whispered the words 'welcome home' into his ear, the Savior turned back to Killian while he simply nodded his head and together they, Henry, Snow and Charming, Gold and Belle, Regina and Robin, Tink, Grumpy, August, and finally Smee all walked together to the harbor where the Jolly Roger remained docked with the Captain's body still protected onboard.

Once they boarded Killian's ship and walked down into the Captain's quarters, Emma and Killian stood over the bed where his body laid still and cold before them, yet perfectly preserved. Truth be told, the sight was eerie for both of them. However, Emma didn't think on it too long as she turned around to Regina again with a look of determination on her face.

She then spoke once more saying, "Regina… it's time. I'm going to share my heart with him, so I need you to take it out of my chest and split it in half."

"All right," the Queen replied and took a brief moment to compose herself before she raised her hand to Emma's chest above her heart. "Just try to breathe and hold still. This is going to hurt a little."

"I know," the Savior responded, as she thought back to when Regina had taken her heart out so she could use it for the test of true love, then turned her head to look up into Killian's eyes while he looked down into hers. "I'm ready."

Regina finally reached inside and pulled the precious glowing organ out once more, then carefully split it in half like she had done with Snow's heart in order to bring David back from the dead as well. Emma gasped when she did so, while Killian immediately pulled her into his arms to hold her against him to steady her. But once the Savior's heart was in two halves, the dark haired woman pushed one half back inside of her chest where it belonged, then gently laid the other into Emma's hands.

The Savior then raised the second half of her heart over Killian's body and then as gently as she could, she pushed it inside. The moment upon doing so, Killian's soul suddenly vanished from among them and Emma waited anxiously for the man she loved to wake up. Yet a minute passed and nothing happened.

When nearly two minutes ticked by, Emma turned to Regina and Gold with tears in her eyes as she fearfully cried out, "What's going on? Why didn't it work? Where is he?!"

Regina was about to state she didn't know, until Belle swiftly reached out to grab Emma's arm while the beauty stared down at Killian's body and exclaimed, "Emma, look… his chest is moving. He's breathing."

"Perhaps because Hook's soul has been trapped down within the Underworld all this time… one final ingredient is needed to fully bring him back to life," Gold answered for the Queen. "Perhaps, Miss. Swan… now might be a good time for you to share true love's kiss with the man you love."

"It'll work, Emma," David replied as he looked at her while he laid his hand over his daughter's shoulder. "You and Hook passed the true love's test. You have proven that you are each other's true loves. Prove it to him now… again."

His daughter nodded, then turned back to look down on the face of the man she loved until she leaned over him as she took his face into her hands and at last, she tenderly kissed his lips. All of a sudden, a pulse of light magic created from her kiss elicited from within her and Killian as it washed over everyone aboard the Jolly Roger. No more than a few seconds passed by this time, before the man she loved suddenly gasped awake just as the Savior hoped, and she cried tears of relief and of joy the moment in which Killian's eyes opened and turned so he was looking up into hers.

Killian smiled up at her and then weakly he whispered, "Emma… You did it. You… you saved me."

The Savior couldn't help but laugh upon hearing him utter the same words spoken from her mother and father, no doubt thanks to him having heard her parents' love stories dozens of times, then she joyfully responded, "And I always will. I will always find you, Killian. Just promise me you won't make that sacrifice for me again. I can't ever lose you like that again."

"I wish I could, love, but… ah!" he started to answer while he tried to sit up with Emma's help, until he suddenly let out a sharp cry in pain, as Emma quickly realized his injuries, which had transferred from his soul to his body upon his awakening, had yet to be healed by her now that Hades was dead and the God's magic cast over Killian to keep the heroes from healing him now was gone.

"Hold on," she stated gently and raised one hand gently over the dagger wound he received in their defeat of Hades, while she laid her other over the side of his face, then emitted her healing power as she allowed it to flow through her and into him. "You'll be better in no time."

Finally, the bleeding wound within his abdomen slowly healed, along with all of the lashes, cuts, and bruises he had received from the God's and Captain Silver's cruel torment while he had been their prisoner. Upon being restored, Killian stood from the bed while he looked down where the knife had once been and when it was gone and he felt his strength return to his body at last, Killian looked up again into Emma's eyes and smiled at her until she leaned into him again for another kiss. Everyone else around them again all cheered, except for Gold. Even though he was happy to see all had worked despite his and the pirate's past, he kept himself more reserved and simply smiled when his wife looked over at him.

Smee then happily exclaimed, "Welcome back, Captain! I hope you know that there's no better man I would rather serve under than you."

Hook looked over at his first mate as he reached out to shake the bigger man's hand and then answered, "Aye… Mr. Smee. I do. And your loyalty has been proven time and time again even before you risked your life to join the others on this quest to save me. For which I am deeply grateful."

"I wouldn't do it for anyone else," Smee quickly replied, when Leroy wrapped his arm around the pirate's shoulders, then together they walked off to return to town to make the announcement to everyone that they were all home, while everyone else soon followed once they too welcomed Killian back as well.

"Oh… wait," Killian said suddenly while he pulled the woman he loved back towards him when she started to follow, after everyone aside from David, Henry, and Snow with Neal all left them alone, then he pulled his brother's ring he was still wearing from around his neck since Emma returned it to him to help her find him again, and laid it once more in her hands. "This ring belongs to you, Emma. I appreciate that you restored it to me so you could find me, but you have. And now… I'd like it if you would continue to wear it so you will always be reminded of how much I love you."

Snow let out a quiet and gentle sob out of awe upon hearing the man's expression of love for her daughter, then she swiftly spoke again in apology saying, "I'm so sorry. We'll… we'll leave the two of you alone for right now. Just come on over to Granny's when you're ready. I know that there are a lot of people who will be happy to see you again, Killian. I know I most certainly am."

The Princess leaned in to kiss his cheek, then followed with Belle's earlier sentiment when she sincerely whispered, "Welcome home."

David expressed how he felt once more as well with a simple handshake and a pat on Killian's shoulder, while Henry finally embraced Killian again like he had before upon his arrival. The thirteen year old hugged his mother as well, then joined with his grandparents when they left the Captain's quarters at last.

"I suppose we should probably follow before too long, though… I wouldn't mind taking a hot shower to help rid myself of what little remains of the ache and the stench of the Underworld," Hook then expressed to Emma again after the others were gone.

"Then let's get you back to the loft so you can," Emma responded, then together they walked hand in hand back to the Charmings' loft so they could both do as he suggested before they returned to town to meet up with everyone else, who were all happy to have their heroes as well as Killian home.

Four nights later…

Archie was in his office as he was once again preparing to go home, when he opened up his bag he carried in with him to work that evening and found his patient's file which he had taken out from his office several nights ago to be able to go over it while at home. The doctor then pulled it out and opened it up to read through his notes he had taken from his few sessions with Killian over the last couple of months before his death and now resurrection. He smiled while he stared down at the papers when he realized that his friend's fears he had come to him with were behind him now. However, when Archie turned to his filing cabinet to place the file back where it belonged, a knock sounded at the door again and he recognized the familiar rap of metal striking it instead of one's fist.

The doctor quickly put the file away, then moved to his door and opened it up to his visitor while he stated, "Good evening, Killian. It's good to see you. Please… come in and have a seat."

The Captain smiled as he walked past the smaller man when Archie motioned for him to enter inside, then the psychiatrist followed and sat down in the chair across from where Killian took a seat once again on the couch while he continued by asking, "So… what brings you here tonight? How have you been doing since… well, since everything that you went through down in the Underworld? Have you been sleeping alright?"

"About as well as one can after going through… I guess what I had," Killian answered him honestly. "That's kind of why I've come to see you again. I do apologize for always coming as you're preparing to leave for the night. I suppose I've just been hesitant…"

"You needn't apologize to me about that ever, Captain," Archie replied in sincerity. "And you don't have to be concerned or worried about whatever it is you wish to discuss with me. You know I won't tell anyone anything about what we talk about here. And you needn't feel ashamed about feeling so uneasy since you've been back. Anyone would be. So please… tell me what it is that's troubling you. Have you been having nightmares since your return?"

Killian nodded and looked down at his hand and his hook, then finally he reluctantly and softly responded, "Aye. Hell is certainly an apt name for a world such as the Underworld, as it is most certainly… hell. It isn't so much the physical pain and torture I suffered down there that's been troubling me. Although, trying to forget all that has been difficult too. But rather… I suppose it's more the emotional torment I can't seem to shake. Hades… he knew exactly what hurt me the most and he never stopped trying to break me. The trouble is, I was already a broken man when I arrived down there. And while I'm grateful Emma loves me so much that she and her family… our friends were willing to risk everything for my sake… I'm still not so sure I'm deserving of their sacrifices they made for me. I'm still broken, Cricket. There's a large part of me that wishes I wasn't a part of this world any longer, having lived for nearly two centuries longer than what anyone is meant to as it is. What if the reason I came back, was simply for Emma's sake? And why… why can't I feel good about how my coming home with her is for my own sake as well?"

Archie listened intently while his friend spoke and when Killian appeared to finish, he continued to look at him while he answered, "I certainly understand why you're so deeply troubled and why you've come to see me again. Which I'm grateful you have, because I want to help you figure out all of your concerns and help you get past them. However, none of these questions can really be answered well enough to help you do so tonight. So… I would like you to come to see me more often than you did before. Will you be willing to do that?"

"Aye," the pirate captain replied with understanding. "I can do that."

"Good," the doctor responded, then stood so he could move over to join his friend on the couch while they continued to talk. "Now… The truth is, most of these questions you're seeking answers for… are only answers you can find for yourself. I will definitely be here to help you find them every step of the way. But at the end of the day, we all have to decide how it is we truly feel about our own selves. I know that you're grateful for the sacrifices made for you. And I know how much you love Emma, even more so for her making the same kind of sacrifices for you, that you made for her. And that is one of your answers right there. Or at least part of it. You feel you didn't deserve their sacrifice to come down to the Underworld to save you. But Killian… You did more than just give your life for us in Camelot that day. I know some of it was also because you've come to despise the man you are and that you couldn't live with yourself any longer, but we all also saw that you did so to make sure we were safe. You rid this world of the darkness when no other Dark One before you has ever come close to even wanting to achieve such a feat. And that's incredible. If someone with your kind of conviction and strength to do something so incredible isn't worthy of being saved from Hell itself, then who is? No one. I wish I could have come myself to help the others save you too, but… I would have just been in the way. I'm so glad to have you back with us again. You're a good friend to us all, Killian. And you're a good friend to me."

Killian looked into the man's eyes for any sign of deception Archie might be using to try to deceive him or to simply make him feel better, but when he saw none, he smiled while he let out a quiet sob in relief and quickly wiped away a tear from his eye, then finally he answered, "I never expected anyone would ever feel towards me the way you and everyone else here in Storybrooke do. Not after I was abandoned by my own father to become a vile slave for the next sixteen years of my… very young life. Not after I was a villain for over two hundred years so I could quench my thirst for revenge against the previous Dark One before me. And then… even after I thought I did know how people had come to see me as a hero, Hades went and destroyed any belief I had in myself. You've no idea how truly grateful I am to hear you say what you've just said, doctor. And to know in my heart you speak the truth. Thank you."

Archie smiled at him and reached out to take his hand while he patted his shoulder as well, then replied, "You're very welcome, Kilian Jones. You're a good man. I look forward to continuing to get to know the real you. I'm grateful that I can again. It's wonderful to have you back."

"Again… thank you," the pirate captain responded, as he stood up again from the couch and then moved towards the door to leave. "I suppose I should get going. Emma's waiting for me down the street at Granny's. She wanted to pick us up some dinner for later. It will be a quiet night at her home this evening. Just the two of us."

"That sounds wonderful," Dr. Hopper answered while he walked Hook to the door. "Just feel free to call my office anytime so we can setup a time for our next session. You're also always more than welcome to stop by, or join me for a meal at Granny's as well."

Hook shook Archie's hand again as he stepped outside of the office, then stated, "I'd like that. And I promise to call. Good evening, doctor."

As Killian started down the street towards the diner, the man of conscience called out to him saying, "You can call me, Archie! Friends always call one another by their first names!"

"Archie then!" Killian called back, then smiled and continued walking.

A few minutes later, when Killian entered Granny's, he found Emma sitting in one of the booths talking with Tink, as well as August and Marco who were sitting across from her. When the Savior saw the man she loved walk in, she immediately stood up to greet him as he came over to join them and then took a seat in the booth beside her and the fairy.

"Welcome, my friend," Marco said sincerely while he reached out his hand to pat the man's who was even older than he was. "How have you been doing since you've been home again?"

Hook glanced over at Emma until he turned back to the two men in front of him and simply replied, "Much better. Thank you. It's good to be home. How have things been here?"

The woodcarver responded, "Uneventful. Quite so. None of you have missed much of anything while you've been gone. For which, I am grateful. It's not often we have this kind of quiet around here with the number of villains who keep on making an appearance."

"You're right about that," August answered quietly. "Let's hope that this peace and quiet lasts a bit longer before the next villain arises. Tink… how would you like to join me for a ride on my bike?"

"I would like that very much," the Green Fairy replied eagerly, then stood up again after Emma and Killian did as everyone prepared to leave for the night.

Emma looked over at Killian and smiled when they both sensed something going on between their two friends, then turned back to the others as she responded, "We need to get going too. It's good to see you, Marco. And thank you."

Marco nodded and walked out with his son and Tinker Bell, while Killian turned to Emma again as he asked, "What was it you were thanking Marco for, love? Is he going to be working on some sort of project for you?"

"Actually… he's been working on something for me since we've gotten back," the Savior answered once they left the diner and began walking down the street arm in arm. "I asked him if he could carve me a new piece of furniture. Come with me. There's something I'd like to show you."

"Where are we going?" he asked in confusion while she began to pull him along down a street that was mostly unfamiliar to him.

She looked over at him as she replied, "You'll see."

At last, they came upon the house which Killian had purchased for Emma and him before the events of the Underworld, and before Camelot, and before their time within the Author's alternate reality they had all been banished to. Once they arrived, the Captain just stared up at it in surprise until he finally just lowered his head to look back into his love's eyes.

He shook his head in confusion, then questioned, "What are we doing here, love? I wasn't… I'm not so sure that things can move forward as I hoped. This house…"

 _"Move in with me," she quickly asked him before he could finish, as she reached up and gently began to twirl her fingers gently through his hair._

 _"What?" he uttered while he continued to look at her in confusion, not understanding what it was she was really asking him despite her words being very clear._

 _The Savior smiled at him as she more somberly continued, "Move in with me. I know everything in life is uncertain, but sometimes you have to walk out the door and hope there's not a bus."_

 _Killian let out a small chuckle and she then quickly added, "I mean… I have a closet full of red jackets. I feel like I could make some space for some black leather."_

 _"Well, when you put it like that, then I would love to move in with you," the man she loved responded sincerely, until his eyes saddened again and he looked away while he struggled to think things through._

"Killian?" Emma whispered in worry when she saw the struggle within him appear on his face.

Before she could ask him what was wrong, he answered, "Emma… I would love more than anything to do so. I hoped to ask you to move in with me before all of this happened. Before the Queens of darkness made their appearances and tried to help Gold to darken your heart. It's just that after everything… I'm not that same man anymore, Swan. My feelings for you have certainly not changed other than that they've only grown stronger. But I'm not the dashing rapscallion I told you I was when we were in New York, or the man who ran head first into danger against a Snow Queen to try to keep you safe…"

The Savior swiftly raised her hand over his mouth to cut him off before he could go on putting himself down and then replied strongly, "Yes… you are, Killian. You've only forgotten because of what Hades and the darkness have put you through. Look back to all you did for me while we were still down in the Underworld. You stood up to Hades then? You were the one who said we needed to destroy Hades in order to save everyone from his wrath. You stood at my side when you and I were about to be killed by that three headed beast and the Olympian Crystal when Hades had it aimed right at us. Don't continue to put yourself down. The piece of furniture I asked Marco to make for me… it's a wardrobe similar to the one he built out of the magical tree so my parents could save me from the dark curse. Just not magical of course. I want to be able to fill it with our things. Our jackets, the things from my childhood which I showed you from that box I still have, and the chest from your ship filled with what you hold most dear too."

"What I hold most dear aren't in a box or a chest, Swan," Killian responded to her in sincerity.

"I know," she answered quietly again, then leaned in close so she could kiss him until she finally just continued to hold his body against hers and finally continued to talk. "We now share a heart, Killian. And we've proven to ourselves that our love is true love. If you weren't still the man I fell in love with, I would have been too afraid to take this next step with you. You know that. But I am ready. So, please…"

The Captain embraced the woman he loved tighter while he looked up at the house again and then whispered, "Aye, love. How can I say no when you've restored to me my happy ending?"

Emma raised her head so she could look into his eyes again and said, "I never told you then, but you're my happy ending too. You always have been. I love you."

The End


	47. Thank You

Thank you to all who have read and have written reviews for my story! You are much appreciated. I'm deeply honored and I hope to hear from you all again, should you choose to read and enjoy more of my work. Best of wishes to you all!

Sincerely,

Genevieve Kelly


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